The Application of Qualitative Research in Developing Nursing Theory : An Example of Phenomenological Study

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

A growing body of evidence reveals that children of mentally ill parents fire at increased risk for the development of psychopathology and for a full range of adjustment problems. Nevertheless, some children of mentally ill parents still function well. These findings suggest that children's problems are influenced by multiple factors. Several studies indicate that development is a process of genetic and environmental interactions that continue throughout the lifespan. The whole of the life path provides a potential for change. Children from the beginning are embedded in a network of social relationships involving a diversity of individuals. Any individual with whom the child comes into regular contact becomes a source of influence on the child jointly in complex interactions. Relatively little work has been directed towards understanding the interpersonal caring processes through which children are at risk or protected against negative effects associated with growing up with a mentally ill parent. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of interpersonal caring for child of mentally ill parents from the perspective of the children. Fifteen children aged 9 to 18 years old were recruited from a large metropolitan general teaching hospital in Taiwan where their parents received mental health services. Data collection involved in-depth, audiotaped, face to face interviews with each child. A combination of the methods of Colaizzi, Giorgi, and van Manen was used to conduct a phenomenological analysis of data. Five essential themes emerged front the data as characteristic of the lived experiences of interpersonal caring for children with mentally ill parent: losing parental caring, caring for others, experiencing the consequence, being cared for by, and caring for self. These themes are discussed as they related to the context of Chinese cultural values. Children's differences in response to the influence of parental mental illness reflected the extent to which different children were involved in the burden of taking care of the mentally ill parent and the family. However, children did actively constitute an essential part in altering and shaping their environments. Implications for nursing practice, education, and research are identified.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Participants
• Data Generation
• Data Analysis
• Findings
• Caring for Others
• Experiencing the Consequences
• Being Cared for by
• Caring for Self
• Discussion
• Limitations
• Implications for Nursing
• Recommendations for Further Study