Subjective psychosocial experiences of South African breast cancer patients receiving diagnosis and treatment

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY: The present study is an attempt to explore, describe, and interpretively understand the livedpsychosocial experiences of individual breast cancer patients receiving diagnosis and treatmentfrom a first-person perspective. The aim of this study was to provide subjective evidence of highsignificance, emphasizing the importance of incorporating customized psychosocial support aspart of multidisciplinary health care. Customized psychosocial support could potentially increasepositive health outcomes. This qualitative study adopted a case study design using aphenomenological research approach. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was theexplorative and flexible research method of choice. The participants were purposively selected.Participant selection was based on shared characteristics. Data were collected from 10 eligiblebreast cancer patients reporting at the Breast Clinic, from which three case studies were selectedfor analysis. Semi-structured interviews were employed for data collection. Narratives wereaudio recorded and transcribed by the researcher. The analysis of each of the selected three casestudies led to the emergence of a single overarching psychological concept of what it means tolive with breast cancer, namely, loss of personal identity. The findings across the three casestudies revealed similarities within different experiences, as well as differences within similarexperiences. Perceptions of breast cancer were shaped by parental influences, perceived lack ofknowledge and obscurity. Experiences pertaining to breast cancer diagnosis includedrepudiation, experiential avoidance, fatalism and transient global amnesia. Experiences related totreatment interventions contained the following descriptions: trauma, mortification, indignity,maiming, humiliation, and demoralization. Meaning-making included incremental living,mindfulness, self-transcendence, as well as surrender. Two main theoretical frameworks namely,the Biopsychosocial Spiritual Model and Constructivism were identified for contextualization ofinterpreted findings. Participants' descriptions demonstrated the significant impact of breastcancer on psychological, emotional, social and physical domains of women's lives. The loss of a woman's breasts comprises more than just a physical loss. The loss of a woman's breastencompasses a loss of personal identity. Living with breast cancer and related experiences areunexplored areas in South African Women's Health Psychology. This study illustrates the valueof exploring particular existential breast cancer experiences in developing customized healthcare. This study provides a foundation for future(larger and more representative) studies that canbuild on the findings of this study.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University