Prof. CHOW Oi-Wah, EstherEstherProf. CHOW Oi-WahNelson-Becker, HollyHollyNelson-Becker2023-10-112023-10-112010Journal of Aging Studies, 2010, Vol. 24(4), pp. 313-324.0890-40651879-193Xhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11861/8215Cardiovascular 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.enPeer Reviewed Journal Article10.1016/j.jaging.2010.06.001