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Dementia can be overwhelming to families and their caregivers. Informal caregiving is a widespread mode of providing dementia care in African American communities, yet impact of caregiving on informal or family caregivers in African American communities is burdensome. This study aimed to describe the lived experiences of informal caregivers of African American People Living with Dementia (PLWD) to understand their perceptions of dementia and dementia care, caregiver support needs, and service needs. Interpretive phenomenological qualitative inquiry guided this study to understand caregivers' experiences and needs. Ten family caregivers of African American PLWD in the community participated in this study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and a diary study approach to document and interpret caregivers' experiences. The data analysis was based on procedures of content analysis. Four major themes emerged from the in-depth interviews: caregiver burden, familism, lack of information and community-based resources, and desire and need for culturally appropriate community-based resources. Triangulated diary entry data complemented the in-depth interviews with similar themes. This study highlights how African American informal caregivers of PLWD face various caregiving needs and challenges in dementia care including lack of culturally appropriate community resources and information. The study illustrates that African American cultural beliefs of familism are significant aspects of their caregiving experience and their coping strategies. These study results provide a useful foundation for various stakeholders to develop culturally targeted interventions and programs to support African American informal caregivers and their family members with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in severe illnesses worldwide. Around 655.5 million cases were having been confirmed, including 6.6 million deaths. The extreme cases experienced near death in the intensive care unit (ICU). This study explored the survivors' experience of being near death while critically ill with the infection. Methodology: A descriptive phenomenological study was employed. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 14 participants from Northeastern Thailand. Content analysis was applied by using Creswell's strategy. Results: Four themes emerged: (a) anxiety and fear of dying alone, (b) environmental chaos, (c) using Thai Buddhist teaching in coping, and (d) returning from the brink of death. Moreover, the patients felt great gratitude and were grateful to the health care team. Discussion: Traumas experienced by patients in the ICU included physical and psychological distress, coping strategies, and an understanding of cultural awareness. Conclusion: Psychological and culturally congruent care should be implemented for patients in the ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Failure to fulfill the physical and psychological needs of breast cancer patients and their partners can result in anxiety, depression, and marital problems. Aim: The present study was performed with aim to elucidate the experiences of breast cancer women regarding partner's unsupportive behaviors. Method: This qualitative study was conducted with a Dickelman descriptive phenomenological approach in the chemotherapy and oncology department of Shahid Ghazi Tabatabai and Shahid Madani hospitals of Tabriz city in 2021. A total of 9 female breast cancer patients were included. Individual in-depth interviews and note-taking were used to collect data using MAXQDA Software. The semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Interviews were analyzed using the Dickelman, Allen, and Turner method. Results: A total of 1500 primary codes were obtained, and finally 3 main categories were extracted including financial inadequacy, emotional impoverishment and breakdown of shared life, and existential devaluation as a woman. Implications for Practice: The results showed need for the husband to pay more attention to the impact of his behavior on his wife; also talking about the problem on the part of the couple is the biggest factor in understanding the support that can be expressed. Also, men and women do not think the same in understanding the needs of their sick partner. Male caregivers are usually less understanding of their spouses. Therefore, health professionals should pay more attention and help men cope with this problem and bear the suffering of their wives.

Aim: To describe the lived experiences of family caregivers of individuals with dementia during the coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) outbreak in China. Design: This study used a descriptive phenomenological research method. Methods: Between May and September 2021, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 22 family caregivers of people with dementia. Colaizzi's method was used for manual analysis. Results: Qualitative data revealed an overarching experience of finding 'There is always good fortune in misfortune to encourage us in coping with difficulties'. Three themes emerged: family reactions to the COVID‐19 outbreak, feeling supported by multiple resources performing respective functions and resilient adaptation to new situations. Conclusion: During the COVID‐19 outbreak, family caregivers of people living with dementia in China looked for positive aspects among difficulties and experienced corresponding reactions, social support resources and resilient adapted coping styles. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: Nurses in China and other countries facing similar pandemic characteristics, cultures or economic development levels, can guide family caregivers to look at family hardships from a positive perspective, develop interventions to rapidly respond to families' reactions after a disaster and help them identify social support resources and form adapted coping styles. Impact: We identified the resilience and the positive experiences of Chinese family caregivers of individuals with dementia during the COVID‐19 outbreak. The results can inform countries with similar cultures and economic levels, offering measures to support their adaptation to pandemics. Reporting Method: This study followed the COREQ guidelines. Patient or Public Contribution: Family caregivers of people with dementia who met the inclusion criteria and who were interested in sharing their understanding of their experiences, participated in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A broad understanding of patient's mental health problem is important to deliver effective and patient-centered mental health interventions. Patients with mental illness feel frustrated when they will not be listened by the health professional. People living with mental illness have different problems which are unheard by the society because of various stereotypes regarding mental illness. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the experience of the patient living with mental illness. Methodology: The research approach used was qualitative and the research design was hermeneutic phenomenological design. With the help of purposive sampling technique, the data were collected from 20 patients through the interview technique. Results: The study results were described into three emergent themes such as patient's perception about the cause of their mental illness, patient's experience of their symptoms, and patient's understanding of their positive and negative experiences of their treatment. Conclusion: The study indicated that mentally ill persons experience many changes in their lives but manage to develop coping skills. Patients had both positive and negative experiences while living with mental illness. The experience of stigma and discrimination, dependence on prescribe medication and its related side effects, loss, and fear, all contributed to the hazy reality of living with mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for most of the patients with end-stage renal disease. Transplantation brings many responsibilities related to medication adherence, immunosuppression, prevention of infection, regular follow-ups, etc. To meet the challenges faced by postkidney transplant patients, there is a need for deeper understanding of how people with kidney transplant learn to adapt to life posttransplant. Aim: The present study aims to explore the lived experiences of postkidney transplant patients. Materials and Methods: A phenomenological research design was adopted. By using purposive sampling technique, 18 postkidney transplant patients were enrolled. Data were collected through unstructured interviews and analyzed by using descriptive statistics for quantitative and Colaizzi's method for qualitative data. Results: Based on participants' responses, total 9 themes and 26 subthemes were extracted after data analysis. The main themes emerged were as follows: relief from dialysis-associated problems, perceived social neglect before and after transplant, burden of posttransplant regimen, impact on occupation, attitude toward donor, posttransplant lifestyle modifications, concerns about future quality of life, effect on family and children, and facilitating agents in transplant process. Conclusion: The present study concluded that the quality of life of participants after transplantation had improved in terms of relief from the dialysis-associated suffering. Worries about duration of graft function, future health, and cost were prevalent. There is a need to provide additional information, multidimensional support, and interventions following transplantation that target these concerns. This may support kidney recipients, better prepare for adaptation to life after transplant, and lead to improvements in the patient experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract that has a profound impact on the quality of life of those afflicted with it. The scientific literature shows how the quality of life of people with IBD influences and is influenced by the clinical manifestations of the disease. Strongly connected with excretory functions, which have always been taboo in society, these clinical manifestations can lead to stigmatizing behaviours. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of the enacted stigma of people with IBD through Cohen's phenomenological method. Two main themes (stigma in the workplace and stigma in social life) and one subtheme (stigma in love life) emerged from the data analysis. The data analysis revealed that stigma is associated with a multitude of negative health outcomes for the people targeted by it and can add to the already complex physical, psychological and social burdens endured by people with IBD. Having a better understanding of the stigma attached to IBD will facilitate the development of care and training interventions that can improve the quality of life of people suffering from IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The primary purpose of the present study was to explain the lived experiences of operating room nurses in the field of patient care undergoing laparotomy surgeries. Methods: The analytical phenomenological method was used. Ten operating room nurses employed in the operating rooms were selected using purposeful sampling. In-depth and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Data analysis was also applied using van Manen's six-step test. Results: In this study, 749 initial codes were extracted, classified into three main themes and six sub-themes following the elimination of similar codes. The main themes included a positive view of patient care, preservation of the physical safety of patients, and consideration of patient vulnerability in the operating room. Moreover, responsibility, holistic care, readiness standards of the surgical environment, physical care provision, medical team malpractice, and lack of care context were considered as sub-themes. Conclusion: The operating room nurses' experiences of patient care in operating rooms included a positive view of patient care, preservation of the patient's physical safety, and consideration of patient vulnerability in the operating room.

Home care workers (HCWs) are a highly heterogeneous population in Italy in terms of their professional qualifications. HCWs play an important role in helping patients affected by chronic diseases and their families. Although many investigators have studied the lived experiences of family caregivers, few have been conducted "to give a voice" to HCWs and even fewer have examined the experiences of HCWs during the present COVID‐19 pandemic. We investigated the lived experiences of HCWs during the first wave of the pandemic in Italy. Cohen's phenomenological research approach was used to conduct this study. In our study, we enrolled and interviewed 19 HCWs who were female, and most were married, with an average age of 52 years. The participants were enrolled from September 2020 to November 2020, after the first COVID‐19 wave in Italy. Four main themes emerged from the analysis of the data: (1) "I found myself alone"; (2) from invisibility to visibility; (3) a fear of getting sick and infecting others; and (4) "Health or work? That is the question." Understanding HCWs' lived experiences, especially those related to the COVID‐19 pandemic, is a first step in giving a voice to this important but vulnerable population in the healthcare workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this research was to provide an in‐depth study about the life experiences of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. Methods: The phenomenological (hermeneutic) method was used to analyse data. The data were collected between March 25 and July 1, 2019. A homogeneous group of 25 patients were included as participants by purposeful sampling methods. Interviews were conducted in the hospital patient‐education room. Results: The results of this study emphasize the importance of understanding the fears, worries, difficulties and life experiences of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. Three main themes were identified: a flare phase of the disease, a remission period and coping behaviours. Study findings included the experiences of social isolation; inability to perform daily activities of living and to work; stress in the flare phase of the disease; concerns about the future in the remission phase and physical and spiritual strategies used for coping. Conclusion: Coping with the physical symptoms and emotional difficulties of inflammatory bowel diseases can prevent patients from living a normal life. The results of this article highlight the importance of understanding the fear, anxiety, difficulties and life experiences of these patients. Summary statement: What is already known about the topic? Some research on inflammatory bowel disease exists, but patient experiences differ.IBD patients may not be able to maintain a normal life due to the effects of the disease. What does this paper add? It enables nurses to know and understand the life experiences of IBD patients. The implications of this paper: Knowing and understanding the experiences of IBD patients, nurses can provide personalized care and support tailored to each patient's needs and concerns [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of COVID-19 patients with pulmonary involvement. The hermeneutic phenomenology was chosen, as this approach can extract the participant experiences as COVID-19 patients. A total of 10 COVID-19 patients with the pulmonary disease were selected as participants after being discharged from the hospital by purposive sampling method until reaching saturation. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and by using Greatrex-White and van Manen's methods were analyzed. As a result of data analysis, five main themes were emerged: Symptoms of inducing fear, Annoying loneliness, death anxiety, Spirituality healing factor, and Valuable life again. Based on the results of the interviews, the participants' experiences showed that patients infected with COVID-19, after being discharged from the hospital, due to mental and physical problems experienced during hospitalization, need comprehensive attention and care to regain their health during convalescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The primary purpose of the present study was to explain the lived experiences of operating room nurses in the field of patient care undergoing laparotomy surgeries. Methods: The analytical phenomenological method was used. Ten operating room nurses employed in the operating rooms were selected using purposeful sampling. In-depth and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Data analysis was also applied using van Manen's six-step test. Results: In this study, 749 initial codes were extracted, classified into three main themes and six sub-themes following the elimination of similar codes. The main themes included a positive view of patient care, preservation of the physical safety of patients, and consideration of patient vulnerability in the operating room. Moreover, responsibility, holistic care, readiness standards of the surgical environment, physical care provision, medical team malpractice, and lack of care context were considered as sub-themes. Conclusion: The operating room nurses' experiences of patient care in operating rooms included a positive view of patient care, preservation of the patient's physical safety, and consideration of patient vulnerability in the operating room. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Following the spread of COVID-19, many patients received home care services for recovery. The family is one of the informal caregivers who provide daily physical and psychological support to the patient, and they have the most contributions in the care of patients. Objective This study explains the experiences of home caregivers in the families of patients with COVID-19. Methods This is a qualitative study with a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Purposeful sampling was applied, and semi-structured interviews in the Center of COVID-19 Control in Khoy, Iran, were used to collect the information. Twenty-three family caregivers, who had already provided care for patients with COVID-19 at home, participated in the study. The themes emerged from interviews. The interviews were recorded and transcripted and then analyzed using Dickelman's interpretive phenomenological approach. Results Thirteen primary concepts, six sub-themes and three main themes were extracted from the data analysis, including 'Irrational fear of disease' with sub-themes: fear of getting infected and indulging in strength of immune system; 'Increasing the burden of care in caregivers' with sub-themes: lack of support and caregiver's family challenges; and 'Self-reinforcement' with sub-themes: highlighting positive features and turning to spirituality. Conclusion Understanding the complexities, experiences and beliefs of family caregivers about living with a COVID-19 patient provides a comprehensive perception of the psychological and physical consequences of care. Executive decision-makers, health care personnel and mental health professionals can also take the necessary strategies to support and manage home caregivers and interdisciplinary cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: AIDS as a human crisis may lead to devastating psychological trauma and stress for patients. Therefore, it is necessary to study different aspects of their lives for better support and care. Accordingly, this study aimed to explain the lived experience of HIV-infected patients in the face of a positive diagnosis of the disease. Methods: This qualitative study is a descriptive phenomenological study. Sampling was done purposefully and participants were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data collection was conducted, using semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed using Colaizzi's method. Results: 12 AIDS patients participated in this study. As a result of data analysis, 5 main themes and 12 sub-themes were identified, which include: emotional shock (loathing, motivation of social isolation), the fear of the consequences (fear of the death, fear of loneliness, fear of disgrace), the feeling of the guilt (feeling of regret, feeling guilty, feeling of conscience-stricken), the discouragement (suicidal ideation, disappointment), and the escape from reality (denial, trying to hide). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that patients will experience unpleasant phenomenon in the face of the positive diagnosis of the disease and will be subjected to severe psychological pressures that require attention and support of medical and laboratory centers. Highlights: Patients will experience severe psychological stress in the face of a positive diagnosis of HIV. Patients who are diagnosed with HIV are prone to make a blunder and dreadful decisions. AIDS patients need emotional and informational support when they receive a positive diagnosis. As a piece of bad news, presenting the positive diagnosis of HIV required the psychic preparation of the patient [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Many countries around the world are facing an ageing society in which older persons share the fate of carrying a burden in their families, especially in skipped-generation families. This increasing trend has noted over the past several years in Thailand. This is an interpretive phenomenological study that seeks to explore Thai older grandparents' life experience of raising grandchildren in skipped-generation families. Methods: The participants were purposively selected from older grandparents in skipped-generation families in the Northeast of Thailand in 2019. Data were collected by in-depth interviews with 29 participants. Data were analysed using Diekelmann & Allen method. Results: Three major themes emerged regarding the Thai older persons as a breadwinner of a skipped-generation family were as follows. 1) Sacrifice for the family is a value of life. 2) Day by day coping journey of individuals maintains mental well-being. 3) Being grandparents leads to spiritual pride. Conclusion: The older grandparents suffered from a variety of burden and vulnerability beyond their abilities. Social and governmental supporting systems are limited. Creating supporting system strategy is required to increase well-being of grandparents in skipped-generation families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In postgraduate intensive care nursing courses, high-fidelity simulation is useful to prepare students to guarantee safe and quality care of critically ill patients. Surprisingly, this issue has not attracted sufficient attention in the literature, and it is not clear whether the linear application of the traditional high-fidelity simulation method based on prebriefing, the simulation session and debriefing, can serve as empirical reference in postgraduate students' education. The aim of this study was to investigate the lived experiences of postgraduate students receiving multiple exposures to an innovative high-fidelity simulation design based on Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory. Methods: A phenomenological study was conducted at an Italian University involving a purposive sample of 15 nursing students attending the postgraduate intensive care course. Audio-recorded face-to-face in-depth interviews were held by a researcher in a dedicated room complemented with non-verbal communication outlined in the field notes. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcribed data. Results: Three themes and ten categories were derived from the data analysis. The themes included pragmatic learning experience, the emotional path, and confidence. Conclusions: Multiple exposure to high-fidelity simulation was lived as a pragmatic learning experience enhancing the students' ability to apply theory into practice. This novel approach also contributed to the transition from negative to positive feelings and improved students' confidence about technical and non-technical skills when caring for a critically ill patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to obtain insights into the meaning and nature of the lived experiences of environmental health behavior among pregnant women. Methods: The hermeneutic phenomenology framework developed by Max van Manen informed this study, which included 17 pregnant women as participants. Data were collected using in-depth interviews of the participants between July and September 2020. Results: The key themes identified were: "fear of health threats to the mother and baby", "patience with inconveniences for fetal health", "movement for the environment", and "generativity embodied from pregnancy". Participants expressed that they had deeper experiences with regard to their environmental health behavior during pregnancy than they did before, and recognized that communal environmental behaviors impact future environmental pollution. They had a negative perspective towards environmental pollution involving plastics and chemicals, and wanted to protect their children's health by making the best possible behavioral choices. Conclusion: This study revealed the meanings of environmental health perceptions and behavioral experiences in the participants' sociocultural context. These findings have implications for health care providers' prenatal care practices that focus on environmental health from an ecological perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and objective: Pregnant women are facing challenges with the restrictions during the lockdown period. Advices/instructions from husband and support system contribute to anxiety. The objective of the study includes describing pregnant women's experiences during COVID-19 lockdown period. Material and Method: Qualitative Research Approach and Descriptive Phenomenological as research Design were used. Sample size was four Pregnant women from Urban community during COVID-19 lockdown period. The investigator collected the data on lived experiences of pregnant women through in-depth interview, which was lasted for 45-60 minutes. Qualitative rigor was done, researcher 'Bracketed' her own feelings and experiences about the content under investigation. Triangulation was applied and member checking was done. To ensure credibility the investigator had co researcher review the data. Dependability is achieved by clearly laid down the steps and also in analysis process to ensure that anyone wishing to conduct study can easily follow and carry out the steps. Transferability of the study was ensured by the exhibition of a dense narration of the samples research context and setting. The quality of data collected was significant. Finding: Four themes were emerged: Unknown fear, Anxiety, inclination towards Spirituality and State of Dilemma. Conclusion: Most of the participant reported a negative overall experience but very much appreciated the support of husband and other family members. Shown strong peer relationships creating an environment which is supportive in nature. An unknown fear and pressure is prevailing which needs to be addressed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate how at-home cancer patients perceived their life situations during the palliative care phase. The study employed a qualitative exploratory research design involving in-depth personal interviews with six women and two men between the ages of 35 and 63. All the interviewees lived at home, experiencing different life situations and suffering from different types of cancer. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was carried out using the descriptive phenomenological method presented by Giorgi. The findings are grouped under four themes; living with uncertainty and future unpredictability, perceptions of being seen and heard in encounters with health professionals and others, stress associated with the perception of disappointing close relatives, and challenges linked to meeting everyday demands. The patients' stories relate their views on life, suffering and pain relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Childbirth is a stressful event in every woman's life, leading to traumatic deliveries in half of the cases. This study aimed at describing mothers' lived experiences which make them perceive their childbirth as traumatic. Methods: In this descriptive phenomenological study, based on the DSM-V-A criteria, 32 mothers who had perceptions of a traumatic event during their labor and delivery were explored through semi-structured interviews, and the collected data were analyzed using the Colaizzi's method. Results: Four main themes could be extracted from the experiences of the mothers. The first theme was sensational and emotional experiences followed by clinical experiences, legal experiences and human dignity, and environmental experiences. The sensational and emotional experiences included four main categories (anxiety, fear, sorrow, anger). The theme of clinical experiences included two main categories (avoidable and unavoidable childbirth complications). The theme of legal experiences and human dignity included two main categories (non-observance of the charter of patient rights, and non-observance of human rights). The theme of environmental experiences also included two main categories (lack of proper supervision and management). Conclusion: To prevent traumatic childbirth and its negative effects, different psychological aspects of childbirth need to be identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to expand nurse's experience of harmful work environments Methods: Data were collected through in-depth dividual interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi phenomenological analysis methodology. Results: Harmful work environments experienced by nurses were categorized as followed: 'Neglect concerning infections', 'Being thrown into a violent working environment', 'The hard times of being alone', 'Struggling with the harmful work environments'. Conclusion: The results of this study provide a deep understanding of the harmful work environments. It is necessary to create safe work environments and it is important to improve awareness in the system of organizations as well as individuals. Also, it is necessary to develop tools to measure work environment including risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies that describe the experiences of patients with glaucoma from different cultures may help health professionals gain a broader perspective on this issue. Currently, few qualitative studies describe how patients with glaucoma in Turkey cope with daily life. Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of patients with glaucoma. Method: This descriptive phenomenological study used purposive sampling to enroll 20 patients with glaucoma. A qualitative, in-depth, face-to-face interview technique was used to collect data during January and February 2014. The data were analyzed using to the Van Kaam method. Results: Seven themes were identified, including confirming the diagnosis by acute symptoms or unrelated symptoms, grateful to God for having a non-life-threatening disease, feeling happy after receiving more accurate information, coping with the disease by using eye drops and attending follow-up examinations regularly, managing daily life to avoid further damage to eyesight, emotional reactions related to going blind, and urging family members or friends to attend regular glaucoma checkups. Conclusions: Patients with glaucoma experience physiological and psychological problems throughout the course of their disease. Being informed and cultural practices such as "praising God" and "resignation" helped patients cope with the disease. Furthermore, because of the cultural characteristic of social collectivism, participants acted to protect the health of others by informing them about glaucoma. Implications for Practice: Understanding the experiences of patients with glaucoma is important for nursing practice. Nurses should be encouraged to take a greater role in the care of patients with glaucoma by becoming the primary source of glaucoma disease, treatment, and care-related information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study aimed to uncover the meaning of the trauma experiences and recovery process of North Korean refugees. Ten North Korean refugees were interviewed, and the data gathered was analyzed using Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological method. Results included 2 main categories, 4 subcategories, and 11 meaning units. Core themes were 'trauma experiences during the escape' and 'trauma recovery process.' Sub-themes were 'life-or-death situations,' 'emotional and psychological distress during the escape,' 'enduring pain and progressing toward inner growth,' 'rebuilding a broken life through relational resources and support.' Based on these findings, the implications of North Korean refugees' trauma experience and recovery process are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grief can be a significant life transition, crisis, or transformative experience faced by many university students. Despite the prevalence and significance of death losses for university students, the topics of death, grief, and bereavement are seldom discussed in the student services and thanatology literature. The current study aims to understand the lived experience of grief for university students. This research is grounded in the Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with six bereaved university students. Thematic analysis using Van Manen's methodology identified ten strategies that bereaved students used to manage their grief and study. This phenomenological interpretation offers some suggestions for university staff to support bereaved students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitiligo is a chronic skin disease, which through change of appearance and body image, exerts a devastating effect on people, especially women. The objective of this study is to explore lived experience of women with Vitiligo by the hermeneutic phenomenology method. The purposive sample consisted of 16 Iranian women. Data analysis followed Diekelmann, Allen, and Tanner (1989). The results showed four main themes: (1) Perceiving myself in a different light; (2) Vitiligo: Worry about others' perceptions; (3) Vitiligo, Being influenced by cultural beliefs; and (4) Accepting and fighting the disease; Variations in experiences of living with Vitiligo. The women affected with Vitiligo during their marriage-ready years face various psychosocial problems such as rejection by associates, isolation, divorce, and forced choice of a single life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore and describe the phenomenon of women with infertility and to enhance understanding on how infertility affects their lives and the specific social consequence they encountered. Method: A qualitative phenomenological design was adopted in this study. A total of 13 women who are infertile participated in the study. A snowball sampling method was adopted. Data were analysed through thematic analysis. Results: Four themes emerged in the study, including (i) non-escapable cultural burden in Chinese family; (ii) psychological distress: isolation caused by envy; (iii) disappointment towards reproductive health services; and (iv) self-compassion and religion as coping strategies. Conclusions: The causes of infertility are highly complex. Apart from medical conditions, many social conditions would also probably trigger the difficulty of conceiving. Health care professional should also focus on the social and psychological aspects of women of infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]