Living the terminal state of a family member: salutogenic interpretation of the results of a case study

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to interpret data obtained in a phenomenological case study that researched the suffering of sixteen main caregivers (family members) of terminally ill hospitalized patients. The data of that study are interpreted here in light of A. Antonovsky's salutogenic pre-paradigm, which promotes health, not disease, fulfilling the objectives proclaimed by WHO, particularly in Ottawa. The methodology that was used was qualitative with hermeneutic interpretation, combined with content analysis (based on the most important categories of the salutogenic conceptualization). The results show that all the family members identified and utilized various General Resistance Resources (GRR), which can be understood in light of three metacategories: 'comprehensibility', 'manageability' and 'meaningfulness'. It was also found that the use/creation of the GRR implies the existence of strong senses of coherence on the part of the respondents, as stated by Antonovsky. The results allow us to understand that there are areas of health professionals' training that can be stimulated in situations similar to the studied one, such as communication and emotional management, among others. They also point to the need for investment in health education activities, promoting psychological and community empowerment.