Cognitive, Emotional, and Personal-Meaning Features of the Internal Picture of Illness in Individuals with Functional Thyroid Disorders

Abstract

Functional disorders of the thyroid gland occupy an important place in the healthcare sector. These disorders have a significant impact not only on physical health but also on mental health, causing substantial changes in the cognitive and emotional domains of an individual. In this context, particular importance is attached to how a person perceives their own illness, what meaning they attribute to it, and how they respond to its manifestations. An important theoretical framework for studying these issues is the concept of the “internal picture of illness,” which reflects the totality of an individual’s perceptions of the illness, attitudes toward it, and emotional responses. The article systematizes the existing theoretical approaches to the concept of the “internal picture of illness,” providing a basis for studying the perception of the disease and responses to it among individuals with functional disorders of the thyroid gland. Within the framework of the present study, an attempt was made to examine the perceptions and attitudes of individuals with functional disorders of the thyroid gland toward their illness, how they perceive the illness, and how they respond to it. The analysis revealed a number of statistically significant positive associations between individual components of the internal picture of illness. Within the structure of illness perception, symptom severity and concern play a key role, as they are closely associated with the impact of the illness and the emotional response to it. The findings indicate that understanding the components of the internal picture of illness and the relationships between them may contribute to improving the effectiveness of treatment for these disorders and to a deeper understanding of psychological factors associated with the disease.