Bringing Antonovsky's salutogenic theory to life: A qualitative inquiry into the experiences of young people with congenital heart disease.
Objective Antonovsky coined sense of coherence (SOC) as the central concept of his salutogenic theory focusing on the origins of well being. SOC captures the degree to which one perceives the world as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. Life events and resources are considered to be the building blocks of a person's SOC. However, mainly quantitative studies have looked into the role of life events and resources. Therefore, the present study aims to gain a deeper insight into the experiences of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) regarding resources and life events. Method For this qualitative study, patients were selected from the sample of a preceding study on development of SOC (n 429) In total, 12 young individuals with CHD who had either a weak (n 6) or strong SOC (n 6) over time were interviewed (8 women, median age of 20 years) Data analysis was based on the constant comparative method as detailed in the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven. Commonalities and differences between patients from both groups were explored. Results The following themes emerged: (1) self concept; (2) social environment; (3) daytime activities; (4) life events and disease related turning points; (5) stress and coping; and (6) illness integration. Additionally, the degree of personal control was identified as an overarching topic that transcended the other themes when comparing both groups of patients. Conclusion These results may have implications for the structure and content of interventions improving well being in young people with CHD.
International journal of qualitative studies on health and well being