The social context of coping

The above poem by the seventeenth-century English author John Donne (Shawcross, 1967) provides insight to the significance of the social context of coping with a chronic illness or disability (CID). Donne suggests that no one is completely self-sufficient, that everyone relies on others, and that human beings do not thrive when isolated from others. From this perspective, the process of coping with CID does not occur in isolation. On the contrary, coping with CID occurs in broader social contexts, which include family, friends, neighbors, the community, employers, schools, and rehabilitation and health-care service providers. This chapter is intended to extend and expand the reader's understanding and knowledge regarding the social context of coping with CID.