Spouses of first-ever stroke victims: sense of coherence in the first phase after stroke

• According to Antonovsky, the individual's sense of coherence is assumed to be crucial in coping with stressful life events. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between the sense of coherence of the spouses of stroke victims, the objective severity of the stroke and the spouses' perception of life satisfaction, psychological well-being and cognitive image of life in the future in the first phase after stroke. Eighty-three consecutively enrolled spouses to first-ever stroke victims < 75 years participated. Multiple correlations were done to study the association between Antonovsky's 29-item Sense of Coherence scale and the objective impairments of the stroke victim, the Life Satisfaction Checklist, the "view of the future" and the Psychological General Well-being Index. The sense of coherence was significantly associated with satisfaction with life as a whole before stroke (p < 0.001), partnership (p = 0.002), sexual life (p = 0.005), family life (p < 0.001) and financial situation (p = 0.001). The severity of the impairments of the stroke victims was not significantly associated with the spouses' sense of coherence. However, the sense of coherence was significantly associated with the perception of the future life situation (p = 0.006). The sense of coherence was also significantly associated with the perception of positive well-being (p = 0.007), self-control (p = 0.009), general health (p = 0.009) and vitality (p = 0.002) at the present, whereas the association with anxiety and depressed mood were not statistical significant. In the experience of a stressful life event such as stroke, satisfaction with general life, close relationships and the socio-economic situation were significantly associated with the spouse's sense of coherence. Spouses with a low sense of coherence were more likely to have low psychological well-being and a more pessimistic view of their life in the future.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Arbetsterapi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Occupational Therapy (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Neurologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Neurology (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Socialt arbete (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Social Work (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Tillämpad psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Applied Psychology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Activities of Daily Living

*Adaptation

Psychological

Adult

Aged

*Attitude to Health

Cerebrovascular Accident/classification/*psychology

Cognition

Female

Humans

Internal-External Control

*Life Change Events

Male

Mental Health

Middle Aged

Models

Psychological

Negativism

Personal Satisfaction

Quality of Life

Questionnaires

Role

Severity of Illness Index

Socioeconomic Factors

Spouses/*psychology

Stress

Psychological/prevention & control/psychology

Sweden

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)