Kim Jeong Sun, Kim Eun Ha, An Minjeong
College of Nursing, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea.
Department of Nursing, Catholic University of Pusan, Busan, South Korea.
Asian Nurs Res (Korean Soc Nurs Sci). 2016 Jun;10(2):128-35. doi: 10.1016/j.anr.2016.02.001. Epub 2016 Feb 10.
In Korea, most elderly with dementia receive care from family members, yet little research is available on the experience of dementia-related anxiety in middle-aged female caregivers for a family member with dementia. The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of dementia-related anxiety in middle-aged female caregivers for family members with dementia.
A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted. A purposive sampling strategy was used to recruit participants. Twelve middle-aged women (40-59 years, mean age = 51.90 years) who were family caregivers were interviewed from February 2014 to August 2014. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using Giorgi's method.
The essential structure of the phenomenon was a fear of losing self-identity. The main essence was represented by six components: keenly feeling the effects of aging because of memory deficit, continuous comparison of the family member's behavior with that of the participant's, Finding it painful to see a family member with dementia as he/she does not know how this will end, not knowing the conclusion of the disease process, reducing the risk of dementia, and trying to change one's lifestyle from what it used to be in the past.
The study provides the essential structure of the experience on dementia-related anxiety that caregivers of a family member with dementia have. The findings could help healthcare providers and researchers have better understanding of dementia-related anxiety and give more attention to the caregivers to relieve their anxiety.
在韩国，大多数患有痴呆症的老年人由家庭成员照顾，但针对中年女性痴呆症患者家庭照顾者中与痴呆症相关焦虑体验的研究却很少。本研究的目的是描述中年女性痴呆症患者家庭照顾者中与痴呆症相关焦虑的生活体验。
进行了一项描述性现象学研究。采用目的抽样策略招募参与者。2014年2月至2014年8月，对12名作为家庭照顾者的中年女性（40 - 59岁，平均年龄 = 51.90岁）进行了访谈。通过半结构化访谈收集数据，并使用 Giorgi 方法进行分析。
该现象的本质结构是对失去自我认同的恐惧。主要本质由六个方面体现：因记忆缺陷敏锐地感受到衰老的影响；不断将家庭成员的行为与参与者自己的行为进行比较；看到患有痴呆症的家庭成员因不知结局而痛苦；不知道疾病进程的结论；降低患痴呆症的风险；试图改变过去的生活方式。
本研究提供了痴呆症患者家庭照顾者与痴呆症相关焦虑体验的本质结构。这些发现有助于医疗保健提供者和研究人员更好地理解与痴呆症相关焦虑，并更加关注照顾者以缓解他们的焦虑。
