A preliminary qualitative analysis of the impact of hope on stroke recovery in women.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived influence of hope on stroke recovery in women who were at least 6 months post stroke.


METHODS
Ten women were recruited from a midsize community in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The main research question was to determine what factors influence hope in the later stages of recovery.


RESULTS
These women described hope as an integral factor in fostering optimal recovery beyond 1 year post stroke. Specifically, 3 interconnected factors (ie, external, internal, and personal) worked in conjunction to foster hope in these women post stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
Understanding the influence of hope in long-term recovery is important for health care practitioners and support systems to foster maximal recovery in survivors of stroke.
Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Andrea
A
Cross
Margaret
M
Schneider
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012944:Social Support; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors