Experience of guilt and strategies for coping with guilt in patients with severe COPD: a qualitative interview study

Guilt is associated with an increased level of mood disturbance and a poorer quality of life. The aim of this study was to explore how patients with severe COPD view and experience guilt and the ways in which they cope with this guilt. A total of 31 COPD patients were interviewed about their percept...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of palliative care 2014, Vol.30 (2), p.108-115
Main Authors: Strang, Susann, Farrell, Mary, Larsson, Lars-Olof, Sjöstrand, Charlotte, Gunnarsson, Anna, Ekberg-Jansson, Ann, Strang, Peter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living - psychology
Adaptation, Psychological
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Attitude to Health
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
COPD
coping
existential
Female
Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi
Guilt
Health behavior
Humans
Male
Medicin och hälsovetenskap
Middle Aged
palliative
Palliative care
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - etiology
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - psychology
Qualitative Research
Quality of life
Quality of Life - psychology
Smoking - adverse effects
Smoking - psychology
Spirituality
Studies
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:Guilt is associated with an increased level of mood disturbance and a poorer quality of life. The aim of this study was to explore how patients with severe COPD view and experience guilt and the ways in which they cope with this guilt. A total of 31 COPD patients were interviewed about their perceptions and experiences of guilt. Qualitative content analysis was used to examine the interviews. In the descriptive (manifest) analysis, the categories "not feeling personal guilt" and "experiencing guilt" emerged; in the interpretative (latent) analysis, various strategies for dealing with guilt were identified--for example, acceptance or blaming others. Relatively few patients reported that they felt guilt on a conscious level, but those who did expressed anguish, and remorse before God; some felt blamed by others. It is important that healthcare providers acknowledge the guilt that their patients express, since guilt may have adverse effects on the patients' overall health.
ISSN:0825-8597
2369-5293
DOI:10.1177/082585971403000206