A qualitative study of sources and manifestations of caregiver guilt in patients with post-stroke physical dysfunction
WANG Xinyu
LIU Dan
KE Qing
LENG Pengqun
Abstract：Objective To explore the sources and manifestations of caregiver guilt in patients with post-stroke physi-cal dysfunction.Methods The purposive sampling was used to select 13 caregivers of post-stroke patients with limb dys-function in the Rehabilitation Department of Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital form March to May 2024.Semi-struc-tured in-depth interviews were conducted using the qualitative research method,and the data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method.Results Caregiver guilt in patients with post-stroke physical dysfunction originated from three aspects:conflicts between personal life and caregiving responsibilities,the limitations of medical and caregiving sup-port,and the slow progress of patient rehabilitation.Their guilt manifested as emotional self-blame,behavioral anxiety and tension,and a tendency toward either excessive caregiving or avoidance of caregiving responsibilities.Conclusions The sources of caregiver guilt in patients with post-stroke physical dysfunction are multidimensional,and the manifestation of guilt is more complex.In order to alleviate caregiver guilt,healthcare professionals should pay attention to their emotional needs,provide support and professional guidance,and help to adjust their expectations and improve their confidence in caregiving.
Keywords：strokephysical dysfunctioncarersguiltqualitative research
Publication Date：2025-04-25
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 13-17 )