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. Symbolic interactionism interpreted by Charmaz (1987) and social constructionism offer perspectives for this work. This paper reports on a qualitative study about the spiritual transformation 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 ultimately resulted in transformation of the loss 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.