The meaning of loneliness to stroke survivors: A qualitative study in Northeast England.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Yang K
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9483675 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
The meaning of loneliness to stroke survivors: A qualitative study in Northeast England.
Yang Keming K Armstrong Nicole N Diamond Clare C Lane Alison R AR Dunne Stephen S
Journal of health psychology 20211112 11
This study explored stroke survivors' experiences of loneliness. Drawing on interviews with 29 community-dwelling stroke survivors living in the Northeast of England, we found several themes: loneliness as being alone, the season or time, lack of understanding from those without any experience of stroke, reduced autonomy, and deterioration of social relations. It is important that healthcare professionals pay attention to the aspects of life that may increase the chances of a stroke survivor bec ...[more]
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Project description:BackgroundA significant proportion of stroke survivors have participation restrictions. Attaining an in-depth understanding of participation challenges and facilitators is necessary to identify rehabilitation priorities. However, current evidence in the Chinese context is insufficient as cultural norms, expectations, and behaviors may differ across countries. This study aimed to explore experiences of social participation among Chinese stroke survivors and their perceived challenges and facilitators, particularly the cultural issues that impact their social participation.MethodsThis study used a qualitative descriptive approach. Individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 first-time or recurrent stroke survivors recruited from a rehabilitation unit and a community health centre in China. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. Reporting complies with the COREQ checklist.ResultsThree investigator-derived categories and 14 subcategories based on data-derived responses were identified. The categories included changes in social participation after stroke, challenges of social participation, and facilitators of social participation. While common factors such as physical limitations, environmental features, and social support emerged as influences on social participation, cultural values were also found to exert a significant impact on survivors' participation behaviors. These values included family-oriented beliefs regarding responsibility towards their children, struggles with societal expectations, and perceptions of social participation being a burden on others.ConclusionsStroke survivors perceived varying degrees of changes in their social participation. Specifically, this study identifies the influence of prevalent cultural values on survivors' participation behaviors, indicating that cultural beliefs and the associated effects on health outcomes should be taken into consideration when developing interventions to enhance social participation after stroke. Potential interventions to empower survivors could aim to improve their stroke-related knowledge, provide psychological encouragement, incorporate skills training to improve communication with family members, and organise peer support groups to augment social support networks.
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Project description:Background and purposePhysiotherapy, with an emphasis on high intensity, individually tailored, and person-centered treatment, is an effective route for recovery after a stroke. No single approach, however, has been deemed paramount, and there is limited knowledge about the patient experience of assessment, goal-setting, and treatment in physiotherapy. In this study, we seek to report patient experiences of I-CoreDIST-a new physiotherapy intervention that targets recovery-and those of usual care. The purpose is to investigate how individuals with stroke experience the bodily and interactive course of physiotherapy during their recovery process.MethodsA qualitative study, nested within a randomized controlled trial, consisting of in-depth interviews with 19 stroke survivors who received either I-CoreDIST or usual care. Data were analyzed using systematic text condensation, and this analysis was informed by enactive theory.ResultsInteraction with the physiotherapist, which was guided by perceived bodily changes, fluctuated between being, on the one hand, formal/explicit and, on the other, tacit/implicit. The experiences of participants in the intervention group and the usual care group differed predominantly with regards to the content of therapy sessions and the means of measuring progress; divergences in levels of satisfaction with the treatment were less pronounced. The perception of positive bodily changes, as well as the tailoring of difficulty and intensity, were common and essential features in generating meaning and motivation. An embodied approach seemed to facilitate sense-making in therapy situations. In the interaction between the participants and their physiotherapists, trust and engagement were important but also multifaceted, involving both interpersonal skills and professional expertise.ConclusionThe embodied nature of physiotherapy practice is a source for sense-making and meaning-construction for patients after a stroke. Trust in the physiotherapist, along with emotional support, is considered essential. Experiencing progress and individualizing approaches are decisive motivators.
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