The Daily Experiences of Adolescents in Lebanon With Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

ObjectivesDespite the psychosocial and physical consequences associated with sickle cell disease (SCD), the daily lived experience of adolescents diagnosed with this disease is a phenomenon rarely described. The objective of this study was to explore the daily lived experience of adolescents with SCD living in Lebanon. MethodTwelve adolescents with SCD between the ages of 12 and 17 years were interviewed with use of a semi-structured interview during a routine follow-up visit after they were assessed as being pain free. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and thematic analysis was conducted. ResultsAdolescents with SCD experience a layered burden consisting of physical, emotional, and sympathetic pain that affects much of their daily personal and social lives. Nevertheless, they seem to claim normalcy and to downplay their pain and suffering in order to limit their caregivers' distress. ConclusionThese findings can be used to assist health care providers in designing culturally sensitive interventions specifically designed for adolescents with SCD and their families to enable them to better cope with their illness.