Table 2.

Summary of the subcategories, categories and main areas in the experience of situations affecting well-being in relatives of patients with atrial fibrillation (N=19).

Citation	Subcategory	Category	Main Area
“If he takes Warfarin he can have a stroke. I know you can because I work with people sick from a stroke” (N13).	To experience anxiety about the patient’s medical treatment (n = 19)	Worrying for the patient	Patient-related health
“Despite you know you believe it is life-threatening” (N17).	To experience anxiety about the patient’s symptom (n = 16)
“One time I got to see her grab the snow shovel out here ... I thought that she would absolutely not do well” (N12).	To experience anxiety from physical exertion by the patient (n = 16)
“Yes…how must it damage the heart while going on like this ..”(N03).	To experience anxiety in remaining or recurrent symptom in the patient (n =12)
“After an attack, I can wake up scared that he may not breathe” (N17).	To experience anxiety after symptom in the patient (n = 11)
“The fibrillation could produce thrombosis and damage the heart, so I feel so uneasy” (N09).	To experience anxiety about the risk of complication in the patient (n = 10)
“I know so little, and then she doesn’t tell everything. I don’t want us to risk anything” (N12).	To experience a lack of knowledge about the patient's symptom (n = 21)	Sharing the patient’s worry
“It is hard to keep her courage up” (N04).	To experience myself as supportive for the patient (n = 11)
“It is nice that the health services understand that all of this is more than only a problem with the heart” (N08).	To experience external support for the patient and myself (n = 8)
“Typically…not now again, and I feel like I just get so tired from it .. We want to have a normal life” (N17).	To experience frustration of own situation (n = 24)	Sacrificing own needs	Self-related health
“Mentally we know that it is a psychological barrier. He avoids all situations that can be linked to heart beat occurring” (N17).	To experience frustration over the patient's behaviour (n = 19)
“I do not want him to be influenced by my thoughts” (N11).	To experience a lack of space of own feelings (n = 11)
“It is a feeling that I always have to be strong” (N17).	To experience despair when the patient cannot manage to perform an activity (n = 7)
“When she lives with us affecting both family and working life” (N04).	To experience a lack of space of own rest (n = 6)
“I have a bad conscience because I think it's nice to go off to work” (N08).	To experience a lack of space of own time (n = 6)
“When it is hard for her it will be hard for me” (N06).	To experience compassion for the patient (n = 26)	Sympathizing with the patient
“It's okay to give up a sexual life. It is more important that he will be alive” (N08).	To experience uncertainty about activity with the patient (n = 15)
“How do you dare and not let it limit life?” (N17).	To experience uncertainty about the patient's future condition (n = 8)

Number in parentheses in subcategories indicates the number of critical situations.