Facing the Challenges of Primary Progressive Aphasia: The Spousal Perspective

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a cognitive-neurodegenerative disorder. Little is known about the personal impact PPA has on those living with this condition, particularly from a spousal perspective. The aim of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the personal experiences of spouses living with a partner diagnosed with variant forms of PPA.

Thirteen spouses whose partners were diagnosed with PPA participated in 1:1 semistructured, in-depth interviews to explore their lived experiences of this illness. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, analysis moved through a process of data-driven open and focused coding for the identification of emergent categories, themes, and subthemes that captured the challenges faced by spouses while supporting their partners.

A constructivist grounded theory analysis of the interview data revealed an overarching theme of "facing the challenges of PPA" that captured the experience spouses encountered when living with a partner diagnosed with PPA. Four interdependent and overlapping themes that sat within this overarching theme included acknowledging disconnect in the spousal relationship, living the decline, readjusting sense of self, and getting on with living. Each of these core themes revealed how spouses dealt with the ongoing and evolving challenges of PPA, particularly concerning changing relational dynamics with their partner and adjusting their own self-conceptualization.

Greater understanding of the spousal experiences of PPA is crucial to the development of intervention to help sustain spouses' emotional and relational connections with their partner.