“I live with pain, it cannot go away”

Childhood and adolescent tuberculosis (TB) survivors often face ongoing challenges even after completing their treatment. While the biomedical aspects of TB recovery are well studied, there is still limited understanding of how young survivors cope with the long-term impact of TB on their daily lives, development, and aspirations. Guided by an illness-narrative and phenomenological perspective, this qualitative study explored the lived experiences of children and adolescents who had completed treatment for pulmonary TB in The Gambia. Using a phenomenological approach, we purposively selected 33 participants from a larger longitudinal cohort study. Data were collected through participatory workshops that incorporated art-based methods and semi-structured in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in participants’ post-treatment experiences. Four main themes emerged: (1) persistent physical health challenges, such as fatigue and chest pain; (2) psychosocial difficulties, including stigma, fear of recurrence, and social withdrawal; (3) educational disruption and academic setbacks; and (4) evolving career aspirations, shaped by both limitations and newfound motivation. Participants’ experiences varied by age and gender, with younger children relying on caregiver interpretations and older adolescents articulating complex emotional and identity-related reflections. Gender norms influenced the types of responsibilities and social roles participants attempted to resume. The findings highlight the multifaceted and long-term impact of TB on young survivors. Recovery was experienced as a continuum from illness to post-treatment life, requiring rehabilitation-oriented support that integrates psychosocial counselling, school re-entry, and community-based stigma reduction. Integrating such support into post-TB care and public health programming is essential to improving outcomes for paediatric TB survivors

Health care · Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Lived experience · Psychosocial · Public health · Qualitative research · Social support · Thematic analysis · Diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis · Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis · Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology

• Towards a Transversal Definition of Psychological Resilience

  Open Access•Antonella Sisto, Flavia Vicinanza et al.•Medicina•2019

  Incluir item

• Interpretative phenomenological analysis as a useful methodology for research on the lived experience of pain

  Open Access•Jonathan A Smith, Mike Osborn•British Journal of Pain•2015

  Incluir item

• Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (Coreq)

  A Jaure, A Tong et al.•International Journal for Quality…•2007

  Incluir item

• Magnitude and factors associated with post-tuberculosis lung disease in low- and middle-income countries

  Open Access•Elizabeth Maleche‐Obimbo, Mercy Atieno Odhiambo et al.•PLOS Global Public Health•2022

  Incluir item

• Psychosocial impact of sickle cell disorder

  Open Access•Kofi A Anie, Feyijimi E Egunjobi et al.•Globalization and Health•2010

  Incluir item

• Resilience of Emerging Adults After Adverse Childhood Experiences

  Open Access•Doris Y L Leung, Athena C Y Chan et al.•Trauma Violence & Abuse•2022

  Incluir item

• Critical Reflections on Individual Collages as a Research Method With Young Women Living With HIV in Zambia

  Open Access•Constance R Smackworth-Young, Alison Wringe et al.•Emerging Adulthood•2020

  Incluir item

• Physical and psychological impact of HIV/Aids toward youths in Southwest Ethiopia

  Open Access•Wasihun Adraro, Getachew Abeshu et al.•BMC Public Health•2024

  Incluir item

• Honestly, this problem has affected me a lot”

  Open Access•Uzochukwu Egere, Elizabeth H Shayo et al.•BMC Public Health•2023

  Incluir item

• The long‐term consequences of early school absences for educational attainment and labour market outcomes

  Open Access•Jascha Dräger, Markus Klein et al.•British Educational Research…•2024

  Incluir item

• Using thematic analysis in psychology

  Open Access•Braun, Virginia Braun et al.•Qualitative Research in Psychology•2006

  Incluir item

• Perceptions of tuberculosis patients about their physical, mental and social well-being

  Open Access•R Rajeswari, M Muniyandi et al.•Social Science & Medicine•2005

  Incluir item