From confusion to acceptance: overcoming challenges using a fighting spirit and the power of support - a qualitative study of young adults' experiences in the first year after diagnosis in early onset of chronic inflammatory joint disease.

OBJECTIVE: Becoming ill with a chronic disease during young adulthood is characterized by significant physical, psychological, and psychosocial transformations. These dynamic changes can add to the complexity of managing a newly diagnosed chronic disease. The aim of this study was to explore how young adults experienced and managed the disease and daily life during the first year after being diagnosed with a chronic inflammatory joint disease (IJD).

METHOD: A qualitative interview study based on semi-structured interviews was conducted and then interpreted using qualitative content analysis, including both manifest content and interpretations of underlying latent meaning. A total of 14 young adults (eight women and six men), ranging in age from 18 to 25 years, participated in the study within 1 year of being diagnosed with a chronic IJD.

RESULTS: The analysis resulted in five categories and 12 subcategories that described the young adults' experiences during the first year after being diagnosed with chronic IJD. The five categories were: Processing towards diagnosis, Struggling with the consequences of the disease, Finding ways to manage the new situation, Needing received support, and Accepting the situation as a process.

CONCLUSION: The young adults demonstrated a strong fighting spirit as they adapted to new circumstances and found solutions to problems related to the disease. Their fighting spirit, combined with support from their significant others and healthcare professionals, helped them in this challenging time when their lifeworld was changing.