[Description and analysis of disease representation in chronic patients through the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-r): implications for clinical practice].

Introduction: According to the theory of Self-Regulation, the individual develops self-regulation processes that guide the course of pathology through mental representations of disease. These should be an essential part of nursing in developing the patient's motivation and self-efficacy, and the Illness Perception Questionnaire allows us to understand the construction processes.

Aim: The aim is to analyze the mental representations of illness of a group of chronically ill patients, to evaluate the implications in therapeutic adherence and clinical practice.

Methods: Pilot study conducted on a sample of 89 chronically ill patients through the Illness Perception Questionnaire.

Results: By correlating the illness dimensions of the Self-Regulation, the significant relationship between emotional representations and the other dimensions emerges. Negative emotions lead the individual to perceive more the cyclical duration of the disease, the severity of its consequences, have a lower perception of coherence and understanding of the disease. A greater opinion of personal control corresponds to a lower perception of serious consequences and a greater perception of control of treatment. The prevalence of negative emotions and a lower disease consistency score are highlighted in patients with low educational level.

Conclusion: The study demonstrated the adequacy of IPQ-r in detecting disease representations, which can affect outcomes in treatment. Above all, the importance of the emotional dimension related to the perception of the disease. The application of IPQ-r can be a valid tool for nurses in detecting the perception of illness of their patients resulting in a useful strategy to promote the educational process and promote adequate therapeutic adherence.