Chronic disease as psychosocial disruption: The case of end-stage kidney failure in Cyprus

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This article presents the findings of an ethnographic study of haemodialysis among Greek-Cypriot patients on the island of Cyprus. This article reveals that haemodialysis is experienced differently by people with different social background. The social determinants of perceiving haemodialysis in positive or negative terms are: age, gender, marital and job status. The younger people without families, the younger people who are married with small children, men and those with well paid jobs before the advent of end-stage failure are more likely to experience haemodialysis in negative terms and characterise it as a torture. In general, the greater one's sociality is before end-stage kidney disease, the greater the loss experienced. Conclusively, haemodialysis takes the form of a rite of passage transforming the individual from socially active to socially restricted.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)55-67
Number of pages13
JournalAnnuaire Roumain d'Anthropologie
Volume48
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 2011

Keywords

  • Cyprus
  • Haemodialysis: Organ transplantation
  • Medical sociology/anthropology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Chronic disease as psychosocial disruption: The case of end-stage kidney failure in Cyprus'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this