“Until the day I die, this will be with me”: Qualitative study to identify coping strategies used during post-stroke return-to-work

BackgroundAlthough work is reported to positively affect wellbeing and life satisfaction post-stroke, returning to work can be challenging.ObjectiveThe study objective was to identify the strategies used to cope by adults who had stroke during return-to-work processes.MethodThis was an exploratory qualitative study grounded in interpretative approaches. Individuals who have had stroke were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the coping strategies that participants used. Transcripts were analyzed deductively.ResultsTwenty-seven participants completed the face-to-face interviews. The median age of participants was 61 years (interquartile range = 55-64). A majority were male (n = 19, 70.4%), Chinese (n = 20, 74.1%), and married (n = 21, 78.8%). All participants were employed before their stroke. Twenty participants (74.1%) reported that they had returned to work. The findings indicated that participants utilized a mix of problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies during their return-to-work process. While both types of coping strategies were used, participants who returned to work predominantly utilized problem-focused coping strategies.ConclusionsIndividuals returned to work by utilizing a combination of coping strategies to manage the effects of stroke. This suggests that comprehensive services are important to address personal and occupational challenges to assist stroke victims in resuming work.