Article

Stroke is a health crisis that can prompt a re-organisation of lives and
impact on family caregivers. This study extends existing findings by
investigating the experiences of partners of young stroke survivors (under 60
years old) two to seven years post-stroke. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews
with seven partners were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.
RESULTS: Two super-ordinate themes emerged, 'Adjustment' and 'Coping'. The first
consists of two subordinate themes; 'Changed lives' describes the way in which
the impact of the stroke was played out in many areas of the partners lives,
whereas 'Enduring effects on the self' highlights the psychological consequences
of these changes. 'Coping' refers to the ways in which partners adapt to life
post-stroke. CONCLUSIONS: The study extends knowledge by demonstrating the
enduring effects of caring on domestic tasks, relationship with survivor, family
roles, employment and social life. Trauma from the stroke event and its immediate
aftermath persisted over years. Caring impacted on the partners' sense of self
and identity, and positive as well as negative effects were noted. Coping was
primarily problem-focussed and previous experiences, social comparison and social
support were important. Implications for community support services are
discussed.

Langue : ANGLAIS