"Shortly Afterwards I Was Practically Dead"-Temporal Experiences of Middle-Aged Individuals With Heart Disease

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Bibliographic Data

ID4643566
AuthorsDaniel Broschmann (0009-0006-1056-9278, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, corresponding author), Lisa Nebel (0009-0007-5413-8848, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen), Juri Krivzov (0000-0003-0501-3049, Academie Gezondheid en Vitaliteit, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands), Evelyn Kleinert (0000-0002-8951-9874, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen), Laura Mohacsi (0000-0002-5640-5184, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen), Timothy Le Butt (Universitätsmedizin Göttingen), Thomas Butt (0000-0002-0387-4550, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen), Christoph Herrmann-Lingen (0000-0002-7813-7045, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen)
Year2025
Pages10497323251376207-10497323251376207
Publication date2025-09-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Health Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/10497323251376207
PMID40987502
OpenAlexW4414485926
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited47

Changes in the experience of time have originally been described in mental disorders within the framework of the phenomenological psychopathology of the lived time. Both phenomenological and qualitative empirical studies have shown that physical illnesses, such as cancer or chronic pain, can be accompanied by a change in experienced temporality. Likewise, the sudden onset of severe heart disease in early and middle age represents a biographical break for the patient and can lead to numerous changes in the experience of time. In our qualitative study, a purposive sample of sixteen patients aged 30-59 years was included. Of these, four patients had sudden cardiac arrest, seven had myocardial infarction, and five had other severe cardiac diseases. Phenomenological semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Patients reported that their temporality changed after serious heart disease. The experience of the participants can be summarized in five themes: "Heart disease as a biographical turning point," "The clock can stop any moment," "Feeling prematurely aged by heart disease," "Other people's time is not my time," and "Just living in the moment." From a psychocardiological perspective, a temporal analysis of severe heart disease can help caregivers understand and support patients better. Further studies should be conducted on cardiac patients with a lower disease burden, sex-specific issues, and young cardiac patients with congenital heart disease

Disease · Heart disease · Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Psychopathology · Qualitative research · Temporality · Aging and Gerontology Research · Health, psychology, and well-being · Mental Health Research Topics

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