The social construction of multiple sclerosis in Israel: a cultural reading of illness narratives.

CONCLUSIONS: MS is perceived in Israel as a form of "deviance" and as a biomedical phenomenon. Rehabilitation and healthcare staff, therefore, need to actively engage in interventions that challenge and change the ways that MS is perceived, as well as to partner with people with MS, and disability advocates to reconstruct and design policies and services that reflect a more socio-political understanding of MS. Implications for rehabilitation Illness narratives by people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can teach us about the ways though which a given society perceives and constructs MS. This study analyzed online illness narratives by Israelis with MS; it shows that MS was predominantly constructed as a bio-medical phenomenon and as a form of social deviance. Rehabilitation and healthcare professionals need to actively engage in interventions that challenge and change the ways MS is perceived among the public, policy makers, and people with multiple sclerosis. Rehabilitation and healthcare professionals should collaborate with people with MS and disability advocates in order to reconstruct and shape policies and the planning of communities such that they address the socio-cultural barriers that people with MS face. PMID: 33347792 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Disability and Rehabilitation - Category: Rehabilitation Authors: Tags: Disabil Rehabil Source Type: research