Spiritual distress to spiritual transformation : Stroke survivor narratives from Hong Kong

Abstract

Cardiovascular accident (stroke) is a leading cause of long term disability for older adults worldwide, including Hong Kong. The stroke event leaves stroke survivors experiencing great distress as they struggle to regain physical ability and develop a frame of meaning. In a Chinese context, several religious traditions and secular philosophies including Buddhism, Daoism, Christianity, and Confucianism contribute to reconstruction of a meaningful post-stroke self. This paper reports on a qualitative study of 11 female stroke survivors in Hong Kong using a naturalistic inquiry approach. Data was analyzed using NVivo to create common categories and profiles. After an initial period of despair and disequilibrium, participants drew on social/environmental resources and personal spiritual resources to reconnect to spiritually-rich beliefs and practices. The stroke caused an internal tumbling process that resulted in spiritual transformation and creation of a resilient post-stroke self. Implications suggest that the spiritual transformation process is complex in a diverse society and social care professionals do well to recognize and support culturally relevant spiritual expressions.