Managing an everyday life of uncertainty – A qualitative study of coping in persons with mild stroke

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate from the actor's perspective how and why persons with mild stroke coped with their new life situation as they did, during the first year after stroke. METHOD: Eighteen persons physically recovered and independent in P-ADL were interviewed 1 year after stroke. The most common symptoms experienced by the respondents were mental fatigability, memory and concentration difficulties, increased stress sensitivity, irritability, emotionalism, lack of initiative and sensitivity to lights and sounds. The questions concerned how and why the respondents tried to cope with their condition as they did. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using the grounded theory method. RESULTS: Despite a mild stroke, the respondents still after 1 year found everyday life a struggle of uncertainty. Individual and relational concerns and environmental conditions were categories grounded in data describing the coping efforts. The co-occurrence of positive and negative feelings during-coping was an important finding. Leisure activities served as an important source of coping. CONCLUSION: Still 1 year after a stroke that in the acute phase was classified as mild, with expectations of complete recovery, respondents struggled to cope with its consequences and often experienced an everyday life of uncertainty.