Hope and chronic illness: The meaning of hope and the ways of fostering hope experienced by chronically ill Finnish people

Abstract

Hope has a central meaning in coping with chronic illness. However, systematic research focusing on hope has not yet been conducted in Finnish culture. The aim of this study was to describe what the meaning of hope and how it can be fostered among people with chronic illness. The data were collected from chronically ill people using a questionnaire. The open‐ended questions concerning hope were analysed and categorized inductively using the method of content analysis. The data in each category were then analysed using descriptive statistical procedures. The findings indicated that hope meant life, the possibility to be healthy again and mental balance. The ways of fostering hope included giving information about the disease, quick admission to care, and support from relatives as well as from professionals. The results confirmed the multidimensionality of the hoping process. There is a need for more qualitative research on hope experienced by chronically ill people in Finnish culture in order to gain a deeper understanding of this subject.

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