POS0393-HPR CHANGED LIFEWORLD IN EARLY ONSET OF CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY JOINT DISEASE. A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF ADOLESCNTS’ EXPERINCES DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF DIAGNOSIS
Authors: A. S. Sjö, K. Ulin, E. Klingberg, I. Gjertsson, A. Bilberg
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2024)

<h3>Background:</h3> Adult patients with chronic inflammatory joint diseases have been shown to develop various strategies to cope with daily life. Coping strategies may change over time, depending on the illness progression or which phase of the disease the patient is experiencing. Still, there is a knowledge gap about how adolescents with recent onset inflammatory joint disease cope with their situation in daily life. <h3>Objectives:</h3> The objective of this study was to describe how adolescents aged 18–25 years, experience and manage the disease and daily life during the first year after being diagnosed with a chronic inflammatory joint disease. <h3>Methods:</h3> A qualitative research design was chosen, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the respondents' experiences of managing their life and the disease during the first year of an inflammatory joint disease diagnosis. The interview texts were subjected to qualitive content analysis, including both manifest content and interpretations of underlying latent meaning. The data was analyzed using subcategories and categories that corresponds to the aim of the study [1]. A total of 21 patients were invited of whom 14, eight woman and six men, median age 24 (range 18–25 years), within one year of being diagnosed with a chronic inflammatory joint disease, agreed to participate in the study. <h3>Results:</h3> The analysis resulted in five categories and twelve subcategories that described the adolescents' experiences during the first year after receiving a chronic inflammatory joint disease diagnosis. The five categories were 1) Processing towards diagnosis; the respondents described the time taken to reach a diagnosis long and frustrating before they finally got a correct diagnosis. When they eventually came to specialist care, they were listened to and met with the right competence. 2) Struggling with the consequences of the disease, the respondents described experiencing a crisis when diagnosed with the disease, which could affect them both physically and mentally. 3) Managing the new situation; the respondents found that they had to find strategies and tools to manage and cope with the new situation. 4) Receiving support; the experienced support from family, friends, healthcare, employers, and co-workers were important for the respondents to cope in daily life. 5) Accepting the situation; the respondents experienced that it was tough to be in transitioning to adulthood and becoming ill with a chronic disease at the same time, however they felt that they were growing as individuals and that they became more open to changes in their lives. <h3>Conclusion:</h3> The main finding of the study is that the adolescents' lifeworld changed in many ways, and that they were passing through several processes, both physically and mentally during their first year after being diagnosed with an inflammatory joint disease. However, they found coping strategies to manage their new situation. During this process, support from significant others were crucial. The study also points to the need to listen to adolescents, to involve them more in their own treatment, to understand their lifeworld and to strengthened them as the experts on themselves. <h3>REFERENCES:</h3> [1] Graneheim UH, Lundman B. Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: Concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Education Today. 2004;24 (2), 105-112. DOI 10.1016/j.nedt.2003.10.001. <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> <b>NIL.</b> <h3>Disclosure of Interests:</h3> <b>None declared.</b>