A qualitative study on individual experiences of chronic hepatitis B patients

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to explain the perception of patients with chronic hepatitis B regarding problems in the Iranian society. Design: Descriptive qualitative research. Methods: In this qualitative study, 27 patients with chronic hepatitis B in Iran were selected through purposive sampling. The data were collected over 22 months, in 2015–2016, by means of semi-structured interviews and field notes. The interview transcripts were coded using MAXQDA10 software ® . To extract categories and themes, the thematic analysis approach was used. Results: The participants’ age ranged from 25–52 years. Analysis of the data revealed seven themes: insufficient self-care, misperceptions, stigmatization, psychological consequences, failure, spiritual struggle and post-traumatic growth.