title: Coping and adaptation at six months after stroke: experiences with eating disabilities.
abstract: Stroke produces a range of enduring impairments and survivors' coping and adaptation styles are influential features of life after stroke. Many stroke-sequelae affect ability to eat but survivors' perceptions and responses to these have not been explored.Methods. Survivors of a cohort of patients admitted to hospital with acute stroke March 1998-April 1999 participated in semi-structured interviews in their homes at 6 months post-stroke. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed; 113 interviews with eating-disabled subjects were entered onto QSR NUD*IST 4 for thematic analysis.Findings. Two major emergent themes of 'getting back to normal' and 'getting by' were revealed which encompassed a range of responses in relation to food and eating. A high level of congruence was demonstrated with pre-existent frameworks but with some unique features. Reportage demonstrated non-linear and inconsistent effects of impairments within patients' lives and the importance of this topic for survivors and healthcare professionals was clear.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences, St. George's Hospital Medical School, Kingston University, Sir Frank Lampl Building, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 7LB, Surrey, UK.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McLaren
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation