Michelle Ingram

Citation

Thesis Title
"I don't want to manage it, I want to get rid of it": A narrative analysis of living with chronic plaque psoriasis, and an investigation into vitamin D as a treatment.

Read article at Massey Research Online:

As a chronic skin disease, psoriasis can significantly impact quality of life, yet little research has explored the psoriasis experience in depth. Furthermore, vitamin D may offer a convenient, safe treatment option. Ms Ingram sought a deeper understanding of living with psoriasis, and investigated whether vitamin D supplementation could improve the condition. Her findings showed three major ways individuals experience psoriasis: as something to be overcome; as something overwhelming that engenders hopelessness; and as something begrudgingly accepted. She found individuals shifted between such experiences over time in relation to how they viewed the severity of their psoriasis. Vitamin D supplementation findings were inconclusive, but an overall relationship was observed between higher vitamin D levels and improved psoriasis. Ms Ingram's research offers new insights into the experience of psoriasis over time, and supports assessment of vitamin D levels in people with psoriasis as well as continued research into this relationship.

Supervisors
Professor Pamela Von Hurst
Professor Kerry Chamberlain
Associate Professor Welma Stonehouse