Dissertation
The experience of wives/female companions of aging Vietnam veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder: a qualitative replication study
Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.), Drexel University
May 2015
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-6308
Abstract
A plethora of information exists regarding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Vietnam veterans. What has not been exclusively researched is the effect of this illness on the aging wives and female companions of these veterans. The purpose of this phenomenologic qualitative replication study was to describe the experiences of wives and female companions living with aging Vietnam veterans with chronic PTSD and to compare/contrast findings to the 2001 parent study conducted by Lyons. A purposive sample of wives/female companions living with aging Vietnam veterans with chronic PTSD was recruited from various geographical areas of the United States using snowball sampling, recruitment flyers and direct contact. The 10 participants ranged in age from mid-fifties to the late sixties and had been in a cohabitating relationship with aging Vietnam veterans diagnosed with PTSD for more than six months over the last fifteen years. The data collection approach for this phenomenological study used semi-structured interview questions, with four participants interviewed in person and the remaining six participants interviewed by telephone; all interviews were audio recorded. Participants were also asked to complete a demographic questionnaire and the Cohen perceived stress scale, which measured the level of perceived stress within the past month. Data was analyzed using Colaizzi's systematic method and the qualitative analytical program Nvivo 10 was used to code data and extract themes. Themes that emerged were similar to the findings of Lyons and a fourth phase was added that was termed the epilogue.
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Details
- Title
- The experience of wives/female companions of aging Vietnam veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder
- Creators
- Margaret Mary Richardson - DU
- Contributors
- Katherine Kaby Anselmi (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Doctoral Nursing; Nursing (Graduate); College of Nursing and Health Professions; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 6308; 991014632575204721