Hope and the Lived Experience of Parkinson’s Disease: A Qualitative Meta-synthesis

Abstract

This meta-synthesis study aimed to answer the research question: How is hope reflected in the phenomenological literature on the lived experience of PD? Utilizing Sandelowski and Barroso’s (2007) method for meta-synthesis reviews and an analytic strategy informed by thematic synthesis and thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2012; Thomas & Harden, 2008), 31 phenomenological studies were selected and synthesized in answer to the research question. The findings of this review are based on a total sample of 289 individuals with PD (male = 142, female = 146, unknown = 1). The sample sizes of the individual phenomenological studies ranged from one participant to 14 (M=8.5), with ages ranging from 30 - 86. Five categories were constructed based on these 31 studies: (a) Encounters in the Medical Context: Hope and Hopelessness in PD (b) Unfamiliar Being: Hope Wilted, Strengthened, and Transformed; (c) Being Seen: Hope Reflected Through Relationships (d) Enacting Hope (e) (Re)Constructing Hopeful Narratives. These findings were explored for theoretical and clinical implications for medicine and counselling psychology. Lastly, theoretical linkages were made between the findings and avenues of hope and PD research. Findings from this study may be used to offer concrete recommendations for clinicians to enhance their sensitivity and knowledge concerning the lived experience of PD patients.