The experience of Parkinson's disease: toward a phenomenological understanding

Despite being the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, Parkinson’s disease (PD) has received little attention in the phenomenological literature. This study aims to contribute to this limited body of research by exploring the questions of what it is like to be a Parkinson’s patient and what meanings can be ascribed to their experience. To answer these questions the study thematically analyzed seven accounts of PD through a hermeneutic, phenomenological lens using a combination of Wertz’s Phenomenological Psychological method (2011) and McCracken’s The Long Interview method (1988). The participants of this study consisted of 6 men and 1 woman, ranging in ages 58 to 71, who have been diagnosed with PD for between 3 and 10 years. Three of these accounts were gathered via in-person interviews and the other four accounts were obtained through published, autobiographical writings. The phenomenological analysis identified four themes that appear to be characteristic of the experience of PD: (1) Denial, (2) Emotion and symptom expression, (3) Alteration of temporal perspective, and (4) Volitional and spontaneous action. The themes are reflected upon by using concepts in existential philosophy to clarify their psychological significance and to synthesize them into an account of the subjective experience of PD. The findings of the study were compared to other findings in the phenomenological literature. Limitations of the current study were discussed and suggestions for further research were posed.Psy.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby John William Machalab