ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the concept of transition to examine the consequences and processes of change associated with more marked changes in health, including chronic physical illness and disability, mental illness, and cognitive decline and dementia. It considers the wider impact of individual health transitions. The chapter focuses on the influence of personal, social and environmental factors that interact to influence the experience of health transitions. It examines the impact of various forms of health transition. The chapter looks at the transition from health to illness, beyond the physical symptoms and bodily experiences. Societal resources, including health policies, economic context, availability and quality of healthcare, culture, and attitudes towards health and illness, contribute to resilience. An acute physical health event may be transient; may represent the onset of chronic illness; or may be a feature within the trajectory of chronic illness.
