Emotional Experience of Patients Awaiting Lung Transplantation: a Comprehensive Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

Background In lung transplantation most research focus on negative emotions, on specific personality traits in predictive/evaluative purposes. Few research has comprehensively explored the emotional experience of patients. Methods Interviews (N=15) were conducted after registration on the waiting list, fully transcribed and analysed with a thematic analysis focusing on emotional descriptions. Results I) Analysis of emotional descriptions First, the analysis was structured in positive, negative, neutral emotional descriptions. Secondly, these descriptions were grouped in primary, secondary emotions, evaluative processes, coping strategies, personal qualities. II) Situational and contextual analysis Emotional descriptions and personal characteristics could be situated in four contextual perspectives a) situational b) relational c) existential d) representational-conceptual. Discussion In these different levels of data analyses we tried to stay the closest possible from the discourse of the patients. This comprehensive account of their emotional descriptions provides a better understanding of how, when and on which aspects psychological support should be defined.