The experience of less severe (“mild”) syndromes of depression are often under-recognized and poorly understood. While 10-15 percent of elders experience Major Depression, as many as 20% to 50% are postulated to less severe syndromes of depression. The term dispiritedness has been identified as a common experience and is a “mild form of depression” distinct from Major Depression. Persons in later life often describe feeling in “low spirits” or dispirited. Antidotal descriptions of dispiritedness associate the experience of being in “low spirits” as a loss of energy, will, vitality; loss of meaning and purpose; disconnectedness; and a sense of hopelessness. The purpose of this phenomenological investigation was to enhance the understanding of the experience of dispiritedness by providing a rich and vivid description of the essential structure of the experience in later life. van Manen’s phenomenological method was used to guide all phases of the research design, analysis and interpretation. Eleven persons (Female=9; Male=2) who identified themselves as being in “later life” (52- 93 years of age, Mean=71) participated in face-to-face 40-70 minute in-depth phenomenological interviews focusing on describing the experience of dispiritedness. After the interviews were transcribed, 433 statements describing the experience of dispiritedness were highlighted, coded, and then sorted into 21 thematic categories using QSR NUD*IST Nvivo qualitative data management software program. The 21 themes were synthesized into 7 essential themes describing the structure of the lived experience of dispiritedness in later life as: 1) arising from life’s trying transitions, and is experienced as being 2) disengaged from meaning; 3) a restricting loss of vigor and animation, 4) forlorn bewilderment and 5) moving between engagement and disengagement while 6) remaining faithful to enduring connections and 7) engaging in day-to-day living. Facilitating finding new meaning, instilling hope, keeping active, and maintaining connections are ways nurses can assist transforming dispiritedness into inspiritedness.
Session #1194 - Mental Health: Practice Issues
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)