Reasoning about family relationships and feelings towards chronic disease

Abstract

This is a descriptive-exploratory research of qualitative approach, based on the methodology of content analysis proposed by Minayo which aimed to identify the feelings from the coexistence with chronic pathology. Informants of the study were seven individuals, including the chronically ill, who belonged to three families whose sick relatives were hospitalized for treatment in a University Hospital.  Data collection was carried out from August to November 2007 and was performed individually in the home environment through semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed according to the following stages: a) pre-analysis, b) examination of material for understanding the data and classification of subjects into categories, and (c) treatment and comments of meaningful categories. The reports allowed visualizing the category “expressing the feelings such as love, sorrow, suffering and worry emerged by experiencing chronic illness. The results showed that these families have remained steadfast in the purpose of maintaining the integrity of its members, as well as the family unit, regardless of adverse conditions experienced after the onset of the disease. Faced with the complexity of the emotion expressed by the interviewees, we emphasize to be relevant that the nurse plan actions aimed at providing family health care to mitigate the physical and emotional damages caused by chronicity.