Hope and Hopelessness in Infertile Women: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate hope and hopelessness in infertile women by using Seligman’s theory of “learned helplessness”. The study was conducted using a phenomenological research design. Fifteen infertile women whose treatment had failed were purposively selected. Data were collected via a semi-structured interview technique. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The main themes relating to hope were individual and social/environmental factors; the main themes relating to hopelessness were individual and so-cial/environmental factors, and the treatment processes. The infertile women made more statements expressing their sense of hopelessness than hope. Women experienced fluctuating feelings during treatment and that unsuccessful treatment resulted in a sense of hopelessness and helplessness. Hope-lessness experienced as a result of negative unsuccessful experiences of treatment leads to feelings of helplessness by suggesting to infertile women that their treatment will fail and that they will not be able to live a successful life. These feelings cause women to cease treatment. Health professionals need to take infertile women’s psychological needs into account and consider their personal feelings and values.

Keywords

• Helplessness; hopefulness; infertility; women; qualitative research,phenomenology

İnfertil Kadınlarda Umut ve Umutsuzluk: Fenomenolojik Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, infertil kadınların umut ve umutsuzluklarını Seligman’ın öğrenilmiş çaresizlik teorisi kullanarak incelemektir. Çalışma, fenomenolojik araştırma yöntemi ile yürütülmüştür. Olumsuz tedavi deneyimi olan 15 kadın amaçlı yöntem ile seçilmiştir. Veriler yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme yönte-mi ile toplanmıştır. Görüşmeler, harfi harfine yazılmış ve yorumlayıcı içerik analizi ile analiz edilmiştir. Umudun ana temaları, bireysel ve sosyal/çevresel; umutsuzluğun ana temaları bireysel, sosyal/çevresel ve tedavi süreci ile bunların alt temaları oluşturulmuştur. İnfertilite tedavisi sürecinde kadınların değişen duygular yaşadıkları; olumsuz tedavi deneyimlerinin umutsuzluk ve çaresizlik duygularının yaşanmasına yol açtığı belirlenmiştir. Olumsuz tedavi sonucu deneyimlenen umutsuzluk, infertil kadınların tedavide ve hayatta başarıya ulaşamayacağını düşündürerek çaresizliğe yol açmaktadır. Bu hisler, kadınların tedaviyi bırakmalarına neden olmaktadır. Sağlık profesyonellerinin infertil kadınların psikolojik ihtiyaçlarını kişisel duygu ve değerleri göz önüne alarak incelemeleri gerekir.

Keywords

• Çaresizlik,umut,infertilite,kadın,kalitatif araştırma,fenomenoloj

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