Living in the doldrums: The lived experience of dispiritedness in later life

This phenomenological investigation sought to enhance understanding of the experience of dispiritedness by providing a rich and vivid description of the essential structure of the experience in later life. van Manen's hermeneutic-phenomenological method was used to analyze the transcribed texts of 11 individuals who identified themselves as being in "later life" (mean age = 73, age range = 52 to 93) and who participated in phenomenological interviews focusing on describing the experience of dispiritedness. Statements describing the experience of dispiritedness were sorted into 21 thematic categories that were synthesized into 7 essential themes that described the structure of the lived experience of dispiritedness in later life as Arising From Life's Trying Transitions, Feeling Disengaged From Meaning, Experiencing a Restricting Loss of Vigor and Animation, Feeling Forlorn Bewilderment, Moving Between Engagement and Disengagement, Remaining Faithful to Enduring Connections, and Engaging in Day-to-Day Living.