Introduction: The experiences of living with Parkinson's disease (PD) from the perspective of newly diagnosed persons with PD (PwPD) have not been previously described.
Aim: This study aimed to gain a better understanding of the impact of living with the early stages of PD.
Methods: A qualitative interview study was conducted among nine persons, seven men and two women, from southern Sweden. Participants had a median age of 71 (min-max, 64-77) years and had been diagnosed with PD for a median of 5 (min-max, 2-12) months. Interviews were recorded and analysed using systematic text condensation.
Results: The analysis resulted in one core category, Facing and dealing with emotional turbulence, and four categories with 2-3 subcategories each: Something is wrong (Vague signs of change; Losing control); The going gets tough (Recalling; Lack of motivation); Losing direction (Uncertainties; Frightened of disease progression) and Dealing with life (Avoiding social situations; Hope and despair; Ease worries).
Conclusion: Newly diagnosed PwPD face emotional turbulence with increasing challenges in managing everyday basic needs. Impaired functioning affects self-esteem and identity, which calls for strategies to overcome emotional reactions of embarrassment, frustration and worry. A sense of lost control and direction increased as the future became more uncertain. The participants' emotional burden and struggle to find a reason to go on or some solution to their new situation left them with both hope and despair. Our results suggest that a person-centred needs-based approach may help newly diagnosed PwPD deal with their new life situation.
Keywords: Parkinson's disease; de novo; impact; newly diagnosed; qualitative research.
© 2024 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic College of Caring Science.