도박중독 남편에 대한 아내의 신뢰 상실 경험에 관한 현상학적 연구

A Phenomenological Study of Loss of Trust among the Wives of Gambling Addicts

Objective: This study aims to explore the experience of loss of trust among the wives of gambling addicts and the lived meanings. Methods: Participants were the wives of gambling addicts who had gambling problems for more than five years. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews, with one or two interviews with each participant conducted from September 2021 to May 2022. Data were analyzed according to hermeneutic phenomenology proposed by van Manen(2014). Results: The findings from the study were organized into 69 central meanings, 25 themes, and 10 essential themes, and they were reorganized into van Manen’s four fundamental existential themes including lived body, lived relations, lived time, and lived space. Conclusions: The experience of loss of trust among the wives of gambling addicts is not just negative, but complex, constructed, and reconstructed as they become proactive and take ownership of their lives. Implications for social services for the wives of gambling addicts experiencing the loss of trust are discussed.