Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Jay Greiner

Abstract

AbstractPoststroke depression in stroke survivors is a more common occurrence than once believed as the survivor of stroke must contend with the loss of their former self and with residual physical, communicative, cognitive, and/or psychological changes. Family members who become informal caregivers, with minimal to no training in some cases, may experience stress from having to adjust to new family roles and responsibilities. Limited information is available on the lived experiences of the family caregiver and the survivor of stroke. The objective of this study was to explore the lived experiences of the survivor or stroke with poststroke depression and family caregiver stress within the dyad. This transcendental phenomenological study was conducted using semistructured interviews with six dyads, twelve participants in total. Interviews were transcribed and coded manually. Data analysis resulted in twelve themes, seven themes from interviews with the family caregivers and five themes from the interviews with the survivor of stroke with post-stroke depression. The key findings of this study indicate that time and commitment, lack of preparedness, family caregiver burden, lack of balance, isolation, and the challenges of managing the depression of the recipient of care are factors that contribute to family caregiver stress. Furthermore, lack of self-efficacy, grieving of former self, isolation, lack of depression coping skills, and difficulty with communication are all factors that contribute to poststroke depression. Study findings may inform allied health practitioners of strategies for managing the role of family caregiving, stress, poststroke depression and coping, thereby creating a positive social change impact for this community.

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