common sense model

Introduction: The Common Sense Model (CSM) posits that Illness Representations (IRs) are a patient's beliefs and expectations about an illness and that IRs guide health behavior (Leventhal, Brissette, & Leventhal, 2003). This study aimed to examine possible links between youth asthma IRs and disease-related outcomes ( controller medication adherence, asthma control, and lung function) in a sample of black and Latino youth with asthma.

Objective: Informal caregivers of people with dementia develop their own beliefs about the condition, referred to as Dementia Representations (DRs), as they try to make sense of the changes they are observing. The first aim of this study was to provide a profile of the types of DRs held by caregivers. The second aim was to examine the impact of caregivers' DRs on their well-being, satisfaction with life (SwL) and caregiving stress.

Objectives: Illness representations shape responses to illness experienced by the self or by others. The illness representations held by family members of those with long-term conditions such as dementia influence their understanding of what is happening to the person and how they respond and provide support. The aim of this study is to explore components of illness representations (label, cause, control and timeline) in caregivers of people with dementia.