Inner Strength-A Systematic Review of Qualitative Empirical Studies.
Astrid Norberg, Gunilla Strandberg
PMID 40851423WHAT IT FOUND
Inner strength was used inconsistently in qualitative healthcare studies.
When treated as a concept, it described connectedness, personal resource, growth through illness, and positive outlook; many articles used it as everyday language without clear meaning.
Key findings
01In articles that stated inner strength in the aim, inductive analyses described four themes: connectedness grown in relationships, an internal powerful resource, a process of growth and transition, and a positive view of life.
02In articles that used inner strength as a concept without stating it in the aim, six themes were identified: a positive view of life, a characteristic of self, connectedness grown in relationships, an internal powerful resource, courage to stand up for oneself, and a process of growth and transition.
03In a substantial part of the included articles, inner strength was used as a lay term without further reflection on its meaning or context.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only articles that used the exact term inner strength in their findings were included, so related ideas such as resilience, inner power, willpower or strength were not reviewed. Most included articles were from Western societies and more than half were in nursing journals, so the meanings may not transfer to other cultures or professions. The included studies were qualitative, so they produced descriptions of meaning rather than effects. There was a risk of selection bias, and the search was limited to databases and English language articles. Most participants in the analysed studies were women, with little research on men. Twenty-five articles used inner strength as a lay term without explaining its meaning.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest and nothing to report.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read inner strength as a proven outcome or as a nursing intervention. This review only describes how qualitative studies used the term, so it cannot show that supporting inner strength improves health.