Recovery experiences of younger stroke survivors who are parents: A qualitative content analysis

Abstract

Aims and objectives To explore the experience of parenting for younger stroke survivors (aged 18 to 64 years at the time of the stroke). Background Stroke among younger adults increased 43% between 2000 and 2010. The social, emotional and physical functioning of younger adults affects multiple aspects of their lives including parenting. There is limited research on the experience of parenting after stroke. Design This is a qualitative descriptive study. Methods We conducted individual semi‐structured interviews with 10 younger adults who were actively parenting children under the age of 18 years at the time of stroke. Conventional content analysis was used to analyse the data. We report the methods and results using the COREQ checklist. Results Impairments from stroke disrupted participants’ identity, relationships and roles as a parent. The degree to which parenting abilities and behaviours were affected by stroke was contingent upon the type and severity of impairments as well as the children's age. Participants also observed emotional and behavioural changes in their children in response to their stroke. Support from family, friends, healthcare providers and children's school/day care was crucial to participants throughout their stroke recovery. Two major themes emerged: (a) finding a new normal; and (b) support for parenting post‐stroke. Conclusions Findings enable a deeper understanding of the distinct parenting challenges younger stroke survivors face and can inform future research on this population. Relevance for clinical practice Study findings highlight the need for continual and tailored follow‐up by nurses and other allied healthcare professionals to decrease the difficulty stroke survivors experience when trying to resume their role as parents.

Factors affecting the quality of life after ischemic stroke in young adults: a scoping review

“…The severity of persisting neurological deficit over time had negative effects on the HRQoL in the Korean study [ 20 ]. In the US study, the median of NIHSS score was significantly lower in the midlife stroke survivors’ group (45–64 years, median NIHSS: 2) than in the older group (≥ 65 years, median NIHSS: 3) [ 49 ]. The admission NIHSS had no significant impact on the HRQoL in stroke patients in the Netherlands study [ 57 ].…”

“…To our knowledge, some prospective studies in stroke survivors found that mRS is a better predictor of the HRQoL in long-term FUP than other scales (e.g. BI) [ 49 , 66 – 68 ].…”

“…Younger adults live with disabilities for a longer time, and their HRQoL is strongly influenced not only by independence in ADL. Young adults require and expect to achieve a higher level of functioning or independence in more complex roles because of their parenting and challenging family or work responsibilities [ 49 , 56 , 59 ]. Return to work (RTW) or the ability to stay at work significantly contributed to better HRQoL [ 20 ].…”

“…Therefore, qualitative studies did not clearly respond to the inclusion criteria and were excluded from this review. Qualitative studies have explored particular lived experiences of stroke from the perspective of young adults (e.g., the coping experiences [ 47 ], the perceived needs and priorities [ 48 ], the experience of parenting [ 49 ], the lived experiences during the transition period from hospital discharge through the first weeks at home [ 50 ], the experiences of QoL in the recovery process across countries [ 51 ], the roles of service provision and return to work [ 52 ] etc.). Published protocols of studies, discussion papers, reviews, editorials, conference abstracts, books, reports, and dissertations were excluded.…”

The experience of young stroke survivors: An interpretative phenomenological study

“…The Functional Independence Measure, administered in Australia to assess whether stroke patients should be admitted to rehabilitation facilities [14], comprises of ve items that assess cognitive or neurological de cits (comprehension, expression, social interaction, problem solving and memory). Data collated using the instrument, shows that young stroke survivors are likely to have cognitive and neurological impairments that their social and occupational functioning [8, [15][16][17][18]. Depression and suicidal ideation is prevalent in young stroke survivors and is ascribed to the psychological impact of stroke, impaired function, disrupted social participation, brain in ammation, and changes in neurotransmission [19,20] but the management of such secondary mental health conditions in young stroke survivors can be inadequate.…”