ArticleBMC palliative care2015
Exploring meanings of illness causation among those severely affected by multiple sclerosis: a comparative qualitative study of Black Caribbean and White British people.
Article in BMC palliative care, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- Navigating social roles: Exploring the impact of disability-related stress on minority individuals with multiple sclerosis.Multiple sclerosis and related disorders · 2025Article
- Experiences of receiving a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.Disability and rehabilitation · 2023Article
- "No One Can Tell Me How Parkinson's Disease Will Unfold": A Mixed Methods Case Study on Palliative Care for People with Parkinson's Disease and Their Family Caregivers.Journal of Parkinson's disease · 2022Article
- Unmet needs of patients with cancer in their last year of life as described by caregivers in a developing world setting: a qualitative study.BMC palliative care · 2020Article
- How integrated are neurology and palliative care services? Results of a multicentre mapping exercise.BMC neurology · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIllness attributions, particularly for those living with life limiting illnesses, are associated with emotional adjustment or psychological distress. Few studies have examined attributions among people severely affected by multiple sclerosis (PwMS), and specifically among from diverse communities. This study aimed to explore and compare the presence and construction of meanings among Black Caribbean and White British PwMS.
methodsCross sectional qualitative interviews were conducted among Black Caribbean (BC) and White British (WB) PwMS with an EDSS of ≥6.0 (severe disease). Data were analysed using the framework approach.
results15 BC and 15 WB PwMS were interviewed. Attributions were complex with most PwMS reporting multiple explanations. Uncertainty, represents the first theme surrounding the aetiology of MS where participants constantly rehearsed the "why me?" question in relation to their illness, a number expressing considerable frustration. The second theme, 'logical and scientific', was voiced more often by WB PwMS and accounts for a range of genetic/viral influences, stress, environmental and lifestyle factors. Third, the 'supernatural' illness attribution theme departs from a biomedical perspective and was reported often among BC PwMS. This theme included the sub-categories of tests of faith and divine punishment, a view although exclusive to BC participants but was sometimes in conflict with notions of modernity.
conclusionOur findings identify evidence of cross-cultural and intra-group diversity in relation to MS causation. A greater professional awareness of the processes used by PwMS from diverse communities to make sense of their situation will enable health care professionals to facilitate effective support for those in their care and channel relevant psychosocial resources to them. This requires heightened skills in communication and cultural competency.
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