Public perceptions of living with chronic conditions

Convatec has published a new report entitled Perspectives on living with chronic conditions. They worked with a third party to conduct a nationally representative survey of 10,025 adults across the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Italy, and Germany, in August 2025. This group included 3400 adults live with heart disease, long COVID, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Crohn’s disease, incontinence, diabetes, cancer, asthma, and more. Collectively, these conditions account for six of the ten leading causes of death globally.

The questions explored the perceptions and reality of living with a physical chronic condition. These conditions can be life-altering, but with the right support, they don’t have to be life limiting.

Autonomy vs visibility

Living with a physical chronic condition often means walking a delicate line between visibility and autonomy. Many people express a desire to be seen as more than their condition, to be recognised for their full humanity, talents, and experiences. At the same time, there’s a deep need for the condition to be acknowledged, not ignored or minimised but understood as a meaningful part of their journey.

Awareness and visibility of these conditions is low, despite one in three people living with a chronic condition, with 57% of respondents saying that their condition is not visible to people they don’t know unless they share it, and a further 27% saying that their condition is sometimes visible, depending on the situation or symptom severity. Lesser-known conditions are not well understood by the public, with only 49% of respondents saying that they had some familiarity with continence conditions or ostomy.

There was also a substantial gap between the public understanding of the challenges faced by people with physical chronic conditions and the level of challenge reported by people living with these conditions, for example, 82% of the public believed that physical chronic conditions significantly impact a person’s ability to work, while only 41% of those living with such conditions say their health has affected their employment. These mismatched perceptions shape how society views people with chronic conditions, often reinforcing stigma, or fuelling misconceptions about their capabilities.
 

Emotional effects and support

The emotional impact of these conditions is often underestimated. More than half of the survey participants (53%) said they felt depressed or overwhelmed at the time of diagnosis. And even after adjusting to life with their condition, 40% still feel misunderstood, revealing a persistent emotional toll.

Support from others can make a meaningful difference. Participants pointed to three key sources of emotional support in the first couple of years after diagnosis:

1. Healthcare professionals (70%) who treated them with care and empathy and took time to answer their questions
2. Peer support (62%) that connects individuals with others, easing isolation and building resilience and community
3. Family and friends (58%) who remain informed about their condition, and whose presence and understanding make a profound difference

Some common experiences across people newly living with a chronic condition include:

• 50% felt like no one would understand what they were going through.
• 51% had to trial several treatment plans to find one that worked.
• 59% were concerned about their ability to work and show up to daily life.

One of the most telling insights from the survey is that 59% of people admit to downplaying their condition to avoid making others uncomfortable.

The pressure to conform to societal expectations is real: 65% among those who have a condition requiring ostomy care or continence care feel compelled to appear a certain way even when struggling physically. Even in healthcare settings, 60% of those who require ostomy or continence care said they often need to advocate for themselves because their condition is misunderstood or minimised.

In terms of public support, 68% of the general public is confident that they could support a friend of family member with a physical chronic condition. The most common barriers to offering support included:

• Lack of understanding about the person’s condition or needs (41%)
• Uncertainty about what to say or do (37%)
• Practical limitations like distance (33%), time (30%), and financial circumstances (27%)
• Emotional concerns, such as fear of offending (25%), overstepping (20%), or discomfort (18%)
• Assumptions that the person prefers to manage alone (13%) or past negative experiences (7%)

 
The report concluded that the key insights for those living with chronic conditions was for them to own their narrative and advocate for the visibility they need, and for the general public to listen with empathy and see with nuance. The findings reveal the complexity and resilience of life with physical chronic conditions, and highlight the importance of both healthcare professionals and the wider public seeing the whole person, not just their diagnosis or treatment.