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Marques FRDM, Laranjeira C, Carreira L, Gallo AM, Baccon WC, Paiano M, Baldissera VDA, Salci MA. Illness Experiences of Brazilian People Who Were Hospitalized Due to COVID-19 and Faced Long COVID Repercussions in Their Daily Life: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 14:14. [PMID: 38247666 PMCID: PMC10813415 DOI: 10.3390/bs14010014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Long COVID is a multisystem condition that has multiple consequences for the physical, mental, and social health of COVID-19 survivors. The impact of the long COVID condition remains unclear, particularly among middle-aged and older adults, who are at greater risk than younger people of persisting symptoms associated with COVID-19. Therefore, we aimed to understand the experiences of middle-aged and older people who had been hospitalized for COVID-19 and the repercussions of long-term COVID symptoms in their daily lives. A qualitative study was carried out, adopting the framework of the constructivist grounded theory (CGT) proposed by Kathy Charmaz. Fifty-six middle-aged and older adult participants from the southern region of Brazil were recruited. Data were gathered from semi-structured telephone interviews. Concomitantly a comparative analysis was performed to identify categories and codes using the MaxQDA® software (version 2022). Three subcategories were identified: (1) experiencing COVID-19 in the acute phase; (2) oscillating between 'good days' and 'bad days' in long COVID; and (3) (re)constructing identity. These concepts interact with each other and converge upon the central category of this study: recasting oneself to the uniqueness of the illness experience of long COVID. Our findings provided insights related to the disruption in the lives of long COVID-19 sufferers who still live with persistent symptoms of the disease, including physical, social, family, emotional and spiritual repercussions. Likewise, this study may aid in developing friendly and welcoming social environments, lowering stigma and prejudice towards patients with long COVID, and fostering prompt and suitable policy support and mental health care for these individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francielle Renata Danielli Martins Marques
- Departamento de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790—Campus Universitário, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil; (F.R.D.M.M.); (L.C.); (A.M.G.); (W.C.B.); (M.P.); (V.D.A.B.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Carlos Laranjeira
- School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic University of Leiria, Campus 2, Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro, Apartado 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
- Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Polytechnic University of Leiria, Rua de Santo André-66-68, Campus 5, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), University of Évora, 7000-801 Évora, Portugal
| | - Lígia Carreira
- Departamento de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790—Campus Universitário, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil; (F.R.D.M.M.); (L.C.); (A.M.G.); (W.C.B.); (M.P.); (V.D.A.B.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Adriana Martins Gallo
- Departamento de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790—Campus Universitário, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil; (F.R.D.M.M.); (L.C.); (A.M.G.); (W.C.B.); (M.P.); (V.D.A.B.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Wanessa Cristina Baccon
- Departamento de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790—Campus Universitário, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil; (F.R.D.M.M.); (L.C.); (A.M.G.); (W.C.B.); (M.P.); (V.D.A.B.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Marcelle Paiano
- Departamento de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790—Campus Universitário, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil; (F.R.D.M.M.); (L.C.); (A.M.G.); (W.C.B.); (M.P.); (V.D.A.B.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Vanessa Denardi Antoniassi Baldissera
- Departamento de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790—Campus Universitário, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil; (F.R.D.M.M.); (L.C.); (A.M.G.); (W.C.B.); (M.P.); (V.D.A.B.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Maria Aparecida Salci
- Departamento de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790—Campus Universitário, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil; (F.R.D.M.M.); (L.C.); (A.M.G.); (W.C.B.); (M.P.); (V.D.A.B.); (M.A.S.)
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Wang Y, Bao S, Chen Y. The Illness Experience of Long COVID Patients: A Qualitative Study Based on the Online Q&A Community Zhihu. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19169827. [PMID: 36011458 PMCID: PMC9408423 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19169827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Long COVID is a public health problem that cannot be ignored, and it is critical to understand the long COVID patients' living situations and support this group through their illness narratives. This study is based on grounded theory, and coded the self-produced texts of long COVID patients on the largest online Q&A community in China, Zhihu APP, in an attempt to explore the illness experiences of long COVID patients in China and to understand how they adapt to their illness and reconstruct their lives. The results show that patients face not only the threat of pain from the illness itself, but also social stigma and discrimination. Patients turn their illness experiences into motivation to move forward and reconstruct self and life by 'pushing forward the biographical flows again', 'impression management' and 'self-compassion'. These findings can help policy-makers and medical institutions to provide timely and appropriate policy support and psychological assistance to patients with long COVID, to create a supportive and inclusive social environment, and to reduce discrimination and stigma against them.
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