Experiences of Patients With Hashimoto Thyroiditis Through the Lens of Compassion

Abstract

Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease affecting mainly middle-aged women. Hormonal replacement is the most common therapy; however, it tackles only the functionality of the thyroid and not the autoimmunity components. Thus, patients experience persistent somatic and psychological symptoms, thereby affecting their quality of life. The cause of HT remains uncertain. Primary evidence suggests that adverse experiences in childhood are associated with autoimmune disease manifestation in adulthood; therefore, the effect of early adverse events on disease course needs to be explored. This paper explored patients’ early life events and everyday experiences through the lens of compassion, as defined in compassion-focused therapy (CFT). In this study, nine participants were interviewed, and the transcribed interviews were analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Qualitative analysis indicated that patients exhibited increased psychological distress and a lack of understanding from others. Common patterns of experiences and behaviors were identified, such as the lack of compassion and affiliation between significant others and themselves. Therefore, including psychological care in the therapeutic process of HT would improve patients’ well-being and quality of life. In particular, cultivating compassion could be a promising strategy for disease prevention and the healthy functioning of patients.