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Tidskrift

Sammanfattning

Documented information on professional caregivers' observations on the dynamics of hope in adults affected by HIV/AIDS is nonexistent although hope has been recognized as a protective and despair/hopelessness as a threatening factor in human health and illness. The purpose of the study was to describe the dynamics of hope in adults with HIV/AIDS and their significant others from the vantage point of professional caregivers, because the latter interact with HIV-positive adults and their significant others in terms of the symbolic meanings they attach to the dynamics of hope in these people. Five professional caregivers were interviewed one or three times and the data were analysed using the grounded theory method. «Alternating hope, despair and hopelessness based on the factors contributing to them in living with HIV/AIDS» and «Alternating hope and despair based on the factors contributing to them in living with HIV/AIDS as a significant other» emerged as the core categories, suggesting possible concurrent existence of all these elements in living with HIV/AIDS. In nursing practice, alleviation of despair and hopelessness and fostering of hope is possible based on the factors discovered in this study. More research is needed on the dynamics of hope in people dying of AIDS and significant others of people with HIV (PWHs) and AIDS (PWAs).

MeSH