Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Coping in End-Stage Renal Failure: A Wilgamuwa, Sri Lanka IPA Study

Abstract

End-stage renal failure (ESRF) profoundly disrupts patients’ physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. This paper presents a concentrated analysis of these responses, drawn from an initial study conducted in 2024 that consisted of three-themes recruiting the ESFR patients living in Wilgamuwa Divisional Secretariat, Mathale. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of semi-structured interviews with five purposively sampled ESRF patients, identified several key themes. Analysis demonstrated how severefatigue and treatment side effects impede daily life and undermine work identity. It also revealed how guilt and fear of burdening family exacerbate emotional distress. And thirdly the study found that reframing illness in spiritual lens can foster acceptance and resilience among the participants. These findings highlight the urgent need for culturally sensitive palliative interventions in rural Sri Lanka, combining symptom management, family-centred psychosocial support, and spiritual counselling, to address the multifaceted challenges of ESRF.