Illness

Illness has been defined as a disturbance in the normal functioning of the whole individual, which includes not only a person’s physical or biological system but also an individual’s personal and social well-being. Illness is therefore not solely defined by one’s biological state but also takes into account one’s social state. As such, illness can be differentiated from both disease and sickness. Disease is the pathological process that represents some level of deviation from a biological norm. Sickness, on the other hand, is considered to be more of a social role that is negotiated with the larger society. Thus, the way illness is understood is not necessarily straightforward and is likely experienced in very different ways. Those differences are also apparent across the life span, ...