Staying married after stroke: a constructivist grounded theory qualitative study

AbstractBackground: Marriages are one of the most powerful predictors of health and longevity, yet research in stroke has focused separately on survivors’ experience of impairments and how spouses deal with caregiving.Objectives: The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory study was to understand the key themes related to reconstruction or breakdown of marriages after stroke.Methods: In semi-structured interviews, 18 couples in long-term marriages discussed how their marriages were reconstructed or broke down after one member of the couple returned home after being hospitalized for a stroke. Constant comparison methods were used to compare the experiences of 12 couples in which both partners indicated their relationship was going well with 6 couples who either separated or remained in parallel marriages.Results: Analysis revealed an overarching process of reconstructing compatible role-identities and three themes related to the reconstruction or breakdown of the marital identity: feeling overwhelme...