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Kidney Transplant Recipients’ Experiences of Sleep and Coping Strategies: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To explore the lived experiences of sleep disturbances and coping among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), thereby providing a basis for developing individualized and targeted nursing interventions. METHODS: A qualitative study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was conducted among 12 KTRs recruited through purposive sampling from the organ transplantation outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Shenyang, China, between April and June 2025. Individual semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted for data collection. Interview data were analysed using IPA to identify themes and subthemes representing participants' lived experiences of sleep disturbances and coping strategies. RESULTS: Four overarching themes and 11 subthemes were identified: (1) disrupted nighttime sleep; (2) emotional distress associated with sleep disturbances; (3) receiving and lacking social support; and (4) self-adjustment strategies amid sleep difficulties. CONCLUSION: Kidney transplant recipients experienced multidimensional sleep disturbances that were closely intertwined with their emotional well-being, social support, and self-adjustment strategies. Participants differed in how they perceived and responded to their sleep difficulties. Future post-transplant care should place greater emphasis on the assessment of sleep and psychosocial needs, strengthen family and professional support, and provide individualized sleep health education and non-pharmacological interventions to help improve sleep experiences and quality of life.
DOI: 10.1111/jocn.70577
Language: English
Field: Psychology
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7215924001
FWCI:
Cites: 15
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