The dynamics of illness perceptions: Testing assumptions of Leventhal's common‐sense model in a pulmonary rehabilitation setting

Objectives . Although Leventhal's common‐sense model (CSM) is proposed to represent a dynamic system, limited research has been conducted to investigate whether and how illness perceptions change. This study tested two hypotheses from the CSM about the dynamics of illness perceptions of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a pulmonary rehabilitation setting. Design and methods . The study employed a longitudinal design. Patients with COPD (N=87) who took part in a pulmonary rehabilitation programme filled out the Illness Perception Questionnaire – Revised (IPQ‐R) before and after treatment and rated the degree to which the rehabilitation had led to the achievement of desired outcomes. Clinical variables and quality of life (Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire) data were obtained from medical records. Results . In line with expectations, results showed that, at baseline, longer time since diagnosis was associated to perceptions corresponding with a chronic illness model (longer illness duration, more experienced consequences, less perceived personal controllability), after correction for clinical variables. After completion of the rehabilitation programme, patients who were more convinced that their participation had led to the achievement of desired outcomes were less concerned about the negative consequences of COPD, had stronger perceptions about the variability in symptoms (cyclical timeline) and had stronger perceptions of personal controllability Conclusions . We conclude that, in accordance with Leventhal et al.'s CSM, coping with an illness is a continuous process and the achievement of desired outcomes during treatment is likely to enable patients to adopt a more positive representation of their illness.