Composing adult lives with a ventilator at the intersection of developmental and neoliberal discourses of time
2024

Living with a Ventilator: Young Adults' Experiences of Time

Sample size: 5 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Elizabeth J Straus, Helen Brown, A. Fuchsia Howard, Gail Teachman

Primary Institution: University of British Columbia

Hypothesis

How do young adults living with home mechanical ventilation experience and conceptualize time?

Conclusion

Young adults living with home mechanical ventilation navigate and resist societal discourses of time, finding creative ways to live meaningfully despite constraints.

Supporting Evidence

  • Participants shared experiences of time shaped by societal expectations.
  • Many felt that their time was compressed due to the demands of personal care.
  • Participants resisted normative expectations and found creative ways to live meaningfully.

Takeaway

This study shows that young adults using ventilators have unique experiences with time, often feeling pressured by society's expectations but also finding ways to live well.

Methodology

The study used critical narrative inquiry and analyzed interview data from young adults living with home mechanical ventilation.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from the researchers' perspectives and the participants' willingness to share their experiences.

Limitations

The study's small sample size may limit the generalizability of the findings.

Participant Demographics

Participants were young adults aged 18-40, four identified as men and one as a woman, with four identifying as white and one as of mixed ancestry.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1177/13634593241226646

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