What people with stress-related disorders experience as being supportive for recovery – a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies
Purpose Prolonged stress leading to sick leave is a serious health problem, and it is crucial to find ways to support recovery. The aim of this review was to synthesize the results from qualitative research about what people with stress-related disorders experience as supportive for recovery. Method...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being |
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| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2025.2516915 |
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| author | Hanna Tuvesson A. Birgitta Gunnarsson Markus Sjösten Viktor Carlsson Sara Holmberg Petra Wagman Cecilia Fagerström Ulrica Hörberg |
| author_facet | Hanna Tuvesson A. Birgitta Gunnarsson Markus Sjösten Viktor Carlsson Sara Holmberg Petra Wagman Cecilia Fagerström Ulrica Hörberg |
| author_sort | Hanna Tuvesson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose Prolonged stress leading to sick leave is a serious health problem, and it is crucial to find ways to support recovery. The aim of this review was to synthesize the results from qualitative research about what people with stress-related disorders experience as supportive for recovery. Methods The systematic review was designed as a qualitative meta-synthesis following the recommendations by Walsh and Downe. Our search across PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycInfo identified 20 articles that met the inclusion criteria. These articles were subsequently assessed for quality and analysed. Results Three themes were identified that describe what people with stress-related disorders experience as supportive for recovery: ´Engaging and authentic atmospheres—an essentiality for recovery`, ´Pursuing an empowered and hopeful self`, and ´Embracing the continuous demanding quest for personal growth`. Recovery from stress-related disorders can be supported by giving each person the opportunity to grow and pursue an empowered and hopeful self. This requires time and support in an engaging and authentic atmosphere. Having the possibility for existential reflection, learning and exploring through various activities is important. Conclusion Our findings show the importance of formal support that patiently stimulates existential reflection and learning in a non-demanding environment. Implementing activities in clinical practice that stimulate such a process, and which can be adapted to each person’s needs and preferences could be beneficial. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0fe30feff3294bb1b0c25dbb2854ac85 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1748-2623 1748-2631 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being |
| spelling | doaj-art-0fe30feff3294bb1b0c25dbb2854ac852025-08-20T03:31:10ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being1748-26231748-26312025-12-0120110.1080/17482631.2025.25169152516915What people with stress-related disorders experience as being supportive for recovery – a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studiesHanna Tuvesson0A. Birgitta Gunnarsson1Markus Sjösten2Viktor Carlsson3Sara Holmberg4Petra Wagman5Cecilia Fagerström6Ulrica Hörberg7Linnaeus UniversityRegion KronobergLinnaeus UniversityRegion KronobergRegion KronobergJönköping UniversityLinnaeus UniversityLinnaeus UniversityPurpose Prolonged stress leading to sick leave is a serious health problem, and it is crucial to find ways to support recovery. The aim of this review was to synthesize the results from qualitative research about what people with stress-related disorders experience as supportive for recovery. Methods The systematic review was designed as a qualitative meta-synthesis following the recommendations by Walsh and Downe. Our search across PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycInfo identified 20 articles that met the inclusion criteria. These articles were subsequently assessed for quality and analysed. Results Three themes were identified that describe what people with stress-related disorders experience as supportive for recovery: ´Engaging and authentic atmospheres—an essentiality for recovery`, ´Pursuing an empowered and hopeful self`, and ´Embracing the continuous demanding quest for personal growth`. Recovery from stress-related disorders can be supported by giving each person the opportunity to grow and pursue an empowered and hopeful self. This requires time and support in an engaging and authentic atmosphere. Having the possibility for existential reflection, learning and exploring through various activities is important. Conclusion Our findings show the importance of formal support that patiently stimulates existential reflection and learning in a non-demanding environment. Implementing activities in clinical practice that stimulate such a process, and which can be adapted to each person’s needs and preferences could be beneficial.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2025.2516915burnoutexhaustioninterviewsqualitative methodsremissionsick-leavemeta-synthesis |
| spellingShingle | Hanna Tuvesson A. Birgitta Gunnarsson Markus Sjösten Viktor Carlsson Sara Holmberg Petra Wagman Cecilia Fagerström Ulrica Hörberg What people with stress-related disorders experience as being supportive for recovery – a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being burnout exhaustion interviews qualitative methods remission sick-leave meta-synthesis |
| title | What people with stress-related disorders experience as being supportive for recovery – a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies |
| title_full | What people with stress-related disorders experience as being supportive for recovery – a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies |
| title_fullStr | What people with stress-related disorders experience as being supportive for recovery – a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | What people with stress-related disorders experience as being supportive for recovery – a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies |
| title_short | What people with stress-related disorders experience as being supportive for recovery – a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies |
| title_sort | what people with stress related disorders experience as being supportive for recovery a systematic review and meta synthesis of qualitative studies |
| topic | burnout exhaustion interviews qualitative methods remission sick-leave meta-synthesis |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2025.2516915 |
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