Fig. 2

The taxonomic structure of comfort concept: type of comfort: Relief—the state of having a specific comfort need met. Ease—the state of calm or contentment. Transcendence— the state in which one can rise above problems or pain. Context in which comfort occurs: Physical—pertaining to bodily sensations and homeostatic mechanisms. Psychospiritual—pertaining to internal awareness of self, including esteem, concept, sexuality, meaning in one’s life and one’s relationship to a higher order or being. Environmental—pertaining to the external background of human experience. Sociocultural—pertaining to interpersonal, family, and societal relationships