Merle H. Mishel’s uncertainty in illness theory to help overcome the chaos caused by illness in people’s lives

The theory of uncertainty in illness is a nursing theory developed by MH Mishel in the 1980s. Uncertainty about the outcome of an illness and its impact on the person’s life is considered here as central to understanding an unstable situation that can either regress or lead to complications disrupting the patient’s life. From there, Mishel draws on the coping process described by Lazarus and Folkman to develop her theory, which enables the individual-uncertain about their future disrupted by illness—to adapt to the situation. In a context of uncertainty, the theory aims to analyze the cognitive adaptation process of an individual to stressful stimuli related to the illness. The results of the analysis are applied in the design of nursing care and the support of the individual during an acute pathological episode or throughout a chronic illness.