Polio Survivors’ Experiences of Acute Phase Care After the Isolation Phase in the 1950s and 1960s in Finland

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the childhood experiences of polio patients after the isolation phase of the disease in post-war Finland in the 1950s and 1960s. Qualitative empirical research was conducted. Interview material was gathered through theme-based written interviews, and the data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. The analysis resulted in the overarching main theme of “constructing psychological safety,” which reflected the themes “emotionally inadequate care,” “reclaiming physical identity,” and “the need to construct a child’s world.” These themes and their subthemes highlighted children’s experiences of the rules set by adults as well as their subordinate relationships with adults. Polio survivors’ experiences following the isolation phase of the disease were traumatic and demonstrated children’s inferior position in nursing in Finland in the 1950s and 1960s. Specifically, children recovering from polio experienced traumatic treatment and care and loneliness even beyond the isolation phase of the disease.