Journal
JOURNAL OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
Volume 21, Issue 7, Pages 1197-1206Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.1177/1359105314550348
Keywords
caregivers; family; health psychology; qualitative methods; vegetative state
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This study aims to understand whether, and possibly how, caregivers of patients in a vegetative state experience an emotional paradox between life and death. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 (19 females and 5 males) caregivers of vegetative state patients living in northern Italy. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Caregivers felt they were the only ones able to understand and give answer to patients' needs, but neglected their own lives in their total commitment to the patient. The findings highlight the importance for vegetative state caregivers in considering new possibilities of life that go beyond the assistance of vegetative state patients.
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