Threats to Hope in People with Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

This study identified threats to hope in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) people. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of 10 patients with COPD. The responses from the interviews were analyzed using an inductive qualitative method.
As a result, four categories were identified from interview responses to elaborate on threats to hope. The four categories were: (1) ‘Continuance of suffocative suffering,’ (2) ‘The evidence of decline and the worse,’ (3) ‘Disturbance to performance of activities,’ (4) ‘Unconcern attitude with value as a being and identity.’
Nurses should show a concern with suffering and distress caused by such experiences, and be with severe COPD people. Nurses can use the categorical themes identified in this study to help COPD people to maintain hope and avoid hopelessness through minimizing or eliminating hoping inhibitors, palliating unavoidable suffering and distress.