Perspectives of Stroke Survivors on Their Post-stroke Transitions ...

Abstract: Stroke survivors are one of the largest groups that occupational therapists study and treat. Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and death all over the world. According to the American Stroke Association (ASA) (2005), every 45 seconds someone in the U.S. has a stroke and every three minutes a person dies from a stroke. It causes drastic changes in the lives of those who are affected with this chronic illness and their families/caregivers. It affects their physical, psychological, and cognitive abilities and limits their social participation. The purpose of this line of research was to examine stroke survivors' adaptation to the consequences of a stroke and the factors that influence the quality of life from their perspectives. Three studies in this line of research were prepared and sent for publications in peer reviewed journals. The first study was a literature review of occupational therapy research that targeted the subject of stroke survivors. Content analysis was conducted that revealed fifty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria and then were categorized into five main themes. The second study used a phenomenological approach in examining stroke survivors' adaptation from their perspectives and addressed the question: What transitions are experienced by stroke survivors during the process of adaptation to the effects of a stroke? The third study was a mixed design study that examined quality of life from the stroke survivors' perspectives and addressed the question: What factors have influenced the stroke survivors' quality of life? This dissertation concluded that recovery from a stroke lies on a continuum, with adaptation and high quality of life at one end and mal-adaptation and low quality of life correspondingly at the other end of the continuum. One outcome of this dissertation was to contribute to the occupational therapist's knowledge about the recovery experience of stroke survivors. Understanding the adaptation process of stroke survivors and the factors that influence that adaptation as well as understanding their perceptions of their quality of lives and the factors that influence their quality of lives can benefit occupational therapists and, in turn, benefit stroke survivors and their caregivers. Results of this dissertation could be utilized both in occupational therapy research and practice. Recommendations are offered to further explore the findings of this study.