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Psychological burden is a central aspect of living with chronic cardiovascular disorders and profoundly affects how individuals experience and cope with fear, dependency and loss of control. Understanding these experiences is essential for delivering high-quality, holistic and person-centred care.
This study explored the experiences of psychological burden among individuals living with chronic cardiovascular disorders in a low- and middle-income context.
We conducted a qualitative descriptive study. Nineteen individuals were purposively recruited using maximum variation sampling and interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide between May and September 2024. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis software (MAXQDA).
The analysis of 19 interviews generated three overarching themes: (a) multifaceted disruption of life from acute onset to enduring dependency; (b) burden of existential fear and struggle for control; and (c) faith-based burden management: prayer, practice and spiritual resilience.
Individuals with chronic cardiovascular disorders experience a significant psychological burden, including sudden illness onset, dependency and existential fear, despite available treatment. Faith, family and community support serve as key sources of coping. The integration of psychological care, spiritual support and culturally sensitive interventions alongside biomedical management is essential for improving outcomes in low and middle-income countries.
Health care professionals should integrate psychological screening and counselling to address existential fears, social withdrawal and suppressed emotional expression among individuals with chronic cardiovascular disorders.
Patients with chronic cardiovascular disorders informed the design of the interview guide, participated in interviews and helped validate the interpretation of findings, ensuring that the study reflected their lived experiences.
This study adhered to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ).
To propose the collaging integration procedure for linking literature and theory to research data in mixed methods research (MMR) and illustrate its application in two mixed methods studies.
Discussion paper/research methodology.
The collaging technique was used and developed based on two exploratory sequential nurse-led mixed-methods studies.
The collaging technique entails using multiple artefacts (data fragments, figures and textual information) within one figure. Collaging can generate relevant pre-post linkages, create meaning and refine inferences and meta-inferences.
This paper offers a novel integration technique for meaningful integration of the literature review and theoretical dimensions in the integration trilogy.
Nurse researchers can use the collaging integration procedure for effective integration for conducting rigorous mixed-methods research. Collaging is a straightforward yet effective technique for enhancing integration in the literature review and theoretical dimensions in MMR.
Linking literature review, theory and research data facilitates a more meaningful interpretation of research findings. While researchers may be able to create a more fully integrated MMR design by integrating multiple dimensions of the study, to date, most of the empirical and methodological literature on MMR has focused on integration at the design, fieldwork, analysis and interpretation dimensions, ignoring others, such as the literature review and theoretical dimensions. Collaging enables intensive analysis of the raw data and embeds the insights gained from literature and theory throughout the data analysis and presentation, thereby avoiding neglecting insights which could have been gained by back-and-forth comparison and integration of literature review and theoretical underpinnings.
No direct patient or public contribution.
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