Int J Qualitative Stud Health Well-being EMPIRICAL STUDY The bodily presence of significant others: Intensive care patients’ experiences in a situation of critical illness SVEN-TORE DREYER FREDRIKSEN, PhD Student1 & TOMMY SVENSSON, Professor2 1Institute of Health and Social Sciences, Harstad University College, Havnegata, Harstad, Norway and 2Nordic School of Public Health, Gothenburg, Sweden Abstract This study is about intensive care patients and the bodily presence of significant others. The aim of the study is to inquire and understand the patients experience of the body in relation to their significant others during critical illness. Open, unstructured, in-depth interviews with six former intensive care patients provide the data for the study. The phenomenological hermeneutical analysis points to a theme among ICU patients’ experience of conflict between proximity and distance during the bodily presence of their relations. Patients experience different and conflicting forms of responses to the presence of their significant others. Patients experience significant positive confirmation but also negation through this presence. In the ICU situation, the reactions of significant others appear difficult to deal with, yet the physical presence is significant for establishing a sense of affinity. Patients seek to take some responsibility for themselves as well as for their relatives, and are met with a whole spectrum of reactions. Intensive care patients experience the need to be actively, physically present, which often creates sharp opposition between their personal needs and the needs of their significant others for active participation. Key words: Phenomenology, hermeneutics, intensive care patients, critical illness, signiﬁcant others (Accepted: 7 October 2010; Published: 4 November 2010) Background Critical illness affects patient ability to relate to and share with their significant others (Fredriksen & Ringsberg, 2007). The patient already faces critical illness; the situation is unfamiliar, stressful, and caused by sudden upheavals in the person’s life. Suddenly the patient is experiencing an abrupt transition from independence and freedom to the rigorous structures of an intensive care unit (ICU). The patient’s life is at risk from (imminent) loss of vital functions. This change of conditions in life creates dependency, personal expectations, and role changes in the presence of significant others. Affilia- tion and the experience of having significant others present, can be observed in the patient’s sense of coherence in a situation (Benner & Wrubel, 2001). The patient’s opportunity to be an active participant in the situation depends on his/her coping strategies. The focus in existing research into the relationship between adult patients and their significant others has until now been random. One focus has been on significant others and their requirements and experi- ences from intensive care situations (Alvarez & Kirby, 2006; Hardicre, 2003; Verhaeghe, Defloor, Van Zuuren, Duijnstee, & Grypdonck, 2005). Another focus has been on the ICU unit and the nursing services provided to patients and their significant others after discharge (Chaboyer, 2006). A third focus has been on communication with intensive care patients and their significant others regarding terminal care (Curtis, 2000). One survey also illustrates nurses’ experiences with families who have lost relatives during intensive care (Andrew, 1998). A fourth and final focus looks at physicians’ visitations to patients in intensive care, discussing flexible solutions, and how visits from significant others can benefit patients (Farell, Joseph, & Correspondence: S-T. D. Fredriksen, Institute of Health and Social Sciences, Harstad University College, Havnegata 5, 9480 Harstad, Norway. Tel: 47 77 05 83 25. E-mail: sven-tore.fredriksen@hih.no #2010 S-T. D. Fredriksen and T. Svensson. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution- 1 Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Citation: Int J Qualitative Stud Health Well-being 2010, 5: 5120 - DOI: 10.3402/qhw.v5i4.5120 (page number not for citation purpose)