探討憂鬱症病人生命意義的經驗

隨著現代人長期生活緊張忙碌，經常面對各式各樣的生活壓力，當無法調適生活壓力時，容易罹患憂鬱症，而對人生感到無望。故本研究旨在探討罹患憂鬱症患者生命的意義，以幫助個案了解自己的生命意義和增加對人生的希望。本研究採用質性研究的現象學，採立意取樣以南部醫學中心醫院精神科憂鬱症患者為研究對象，共訪談20位個案直到資料飽和，資料收集的時間為2018年08月至2019年07月。資料分析使用Colaizzi 七個分析步驟和質性的NVivo 11電腦軟體輔助分析。本研究結果發現憂鬱症患者生命的意義包含4個主題，主題一：『戰勝憂鬱的價值』：憂鬱患者因壓力逼迫導致憂鬱、而憂鬱症狀的反覆糾結、需要轉換正向的態度及力行調適憂鬱的方法才能戰勝疾病。主題二：『工作的價值』：憂鬱症患者也需要工作以滿足生存的條件和創造自我的價值。主題三：『愛與承擔的價值』：憂鬱患者感受到愛與被愛，同時也感受到需負起承擔責任的勇氣。主題四：『靈性撫慰的價值』：憂鬱症患者藉由心靈祈禱及接受命運安排達到心靈的慰藉。本研究藉由探討憂鬱症的生命意義之經驗，可提供臨床實務者更了解憂鬱症患者的生命意義，進而幫助憂鬱患者發現自己的生命意義和價值。

關鍵字

憂鬱症；生命意義；現象學

並列摘要

People in the modern society constantly lead a tense and busy life while facing various sorts of stresses in life. Once they are unable to cope with stresses in life, they are prone to depression and feel hopeless about life. Therefore, this study aims to explore the meaning of life of patients with depression, in order to help them understand their meaning of life and increase their hope for life. This study adopted a qualitative phenomenology approach and recruited patients with depression by purposive sampling from the psychiatry department of a medical center in Southern Taiwan as the study subjects. A total of 20 subjects were interviewed until achieving data saturation and data collection were conducted between August, 2018 and July, 2019. Data analysis were conducted using the seven-step analysis by Colaizzi and NVivo 11 software was used to provide computer-assisted qualitative analysis. According to our results, the meaning of life for patients with depression included four themes. Theme 1 is “the value of defeating depression”. Patients with depression contract the illness under the force of stresses. However, symptoms of depression tend to persist and reoccur; and the disease can only be defeated through an approach combining a shift to a positive attitude and efforts to cope with the condition. Theme 2 is “the value of work”. Patients with depression need to work to meet the conditions for survival and to create self-value. Theme 3 is “the value of love and taking responsibilities”. Patients with depression feel love and to be loved and at the same time, the need to be courageous in taking responsibilities. Theme 4 is “the value of spiritual comfort”. Patients with depression achieve a peaceful mind through prayers from the heart and by accepting their destiny. This study, by exploring the meaning of life for patients with depression, may provide clinical practitioners with an opportunity to better understand the meaning of life for patients with depression, thus help patients with depression in discovering the meaning and value of life.