I know I'm not invincible': An interpretative phenomenological analysis of thyroid cancer in young people (original) (raw)
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Childhood Experiences of Cancer: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Approach
Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 2011
Paediatric oncology has emerged as one of the great medical success stories of the last four decades (Izraeli and Rechavi, 2004). The cure rate of childhood cancer has increased from approximately 25% in the 1960's to over 75% in more recent years. However, very little is known about how children actually experience the diagnosis and treatment of their illness. Nine families in which a child was diagnosed with cancer were interviewed twice over a 12 month period. Using the qualitative methodology of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) children's experiences of being patients with a diagnosis of cancer were explicated. The results revealed five significant themes: the experience of illness, the upside of being sick, refocusing on what is important, acquiring a new perspective and the experience of returning to well-being. Changes over time were noted as children's experiences' were often pertinent to the stage of treatment the child had reached. These results revealed rich and intimate information about a sensitive issue with implications for understanding child development and medical and psychosocial treatment.
The Lived Experiences of Adolescents with Cancer the Lived Experiences of Adolescents with Cancer
2009
People often do not want to hear, talk or read about cancer. Cancer is arguably one of the most feared illnesses and maybe rightly so for it is usually associated with pain, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, long uncomfortable treatments and death. To receive a diagnosis of cancer must be absolutely devastating especially when you are in a developmental stage where you are already battling with issues such as self-esteem, body image, independence and career choices. The current study explored the lived experiences of adolescents who have or had cancer and how this experience impacted on their lives. Six adolescent cancer patients from the cancer unit in a public hospital were interviewed. The sample was purposively drawn and the majority of the interviews were conducted at the homes of the participants. Phenomenology was used both as a theoretical framework as well as a means of analysing data. Using the descriptive phenomenological method employed by Giorgi, four essential themes emerged from the data. The themes included (1) Unexpected change of everyday life means experiencing the unfamiliar (2) Experiencing a changed body, (3) Experiencing the support of significant others and (4) Anticipating a future. The themes were explained in terms of the four existentials of Van Manen which is lived space, lived body, lived other and lived time. The study revealed that although the initial diagnosis of cancer came as a shock to the participants and their families, they were able to deal with the iv inevitable changes that accompanied the diagnosis mainly as a result of the support they received from family and friends. Their initial fear of death were replaced with an ardent pursue of their dreams for the future. November 2009 v DECLARATION I declare that The lived experiences of adolescents with cancer is my own work, that it has not been submitted before for any degree or examination in any other university, and that all the sources I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged as complete references.
Journal of cancer survivorship, 2024
Purpose Due to the increase in both cancer incidence and overall survival rates, more adolescents and young adults (AYAs) have to live with the effects that their cancer diagnosis and following treatments have on their bodies. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to gain more insight into the way AYAs experience these effects and how they respond to these effects. Methods Semi-structured interviews with a sample of 11 AYAs with an age range of 25-41 years at the time of the interview, who were diagnosed with different types of cancer, were conducted. Participants were recruited via social media and patient associations until data saturation was reached. A topic guide with open-ended questions about lived experiences was used. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was performed to analyse the transcripts. Results We identified six Group Experiential Themes based on different ways AYAs experience their bodies: (1) selfconscious body, (2) vulnerable body, (3) adapting to the body, (4) uncontrollable body, (5) remembering the body and (6) shared bodies. Conclusion This study offers in-depth insight into the bodily experiences of AYAs after cancer and how they respond to these changes from a phenomenological point of view. Implications for Cancer Survivors This knowledge could be beneficial to provide more guidance for AYAs during and after their illness, by focussing on personalised psychological (after)care.
The lived experiences of adolescents with cancer
2010
People often do not want to hear, talk or read about cancer. Cancer is arguably one of the most feared illnesses and maybe rightly so for it is usually associated with pain, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, long uncomfortable treatments and death. To receive a diagnosis of cancer must be absolutely devastating especially when you are in a developmental stage where you are already battling with issues such as self-esteem, body image, independence and career choices. The current study explored the lived experiences of adolescents who have or had cancer and how this experience impacted on their lives. Six adolescent cancer patients from the cancer unit in a public hospital were interviewed. The sample was purposively drawn and the majority of the interviews were conducted at the homes of the participants. Phenomenology was used both as a theoretical framework as well as a means of analysing data. Using the descriptive phenomenological method employed by Giorgi, four essential themes emerged from the data. The themes included (1) Unexpected change of everyday life means experiencing the unfamiliar (2) Experiencing a changed body, (3) Experiencing the support of significant others and (4) Anticipating a future. The themes were explained in terms of the four existentials of Van Manen which is lived space, lived body, lived other and lived time. The study revealed that although the initial diagnosis of cancer came as a shock to the participants and their families, they were able to deal with the iv inevitable changes that accompanied the diagnosis mainly as a result of the support they received from family and friends. Their initial fear of death were replaced with an ardent pursue of their dreams for the future. November 2009 v DECLARATION I declare that The lived experiences of adolescents with cancer is my own work, that it has not been submitted before for any degree or examination in any other university, and that all the sources I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged as complete references.
2016
This study explored adult childhood cancer survivors’ experiences with illness and survival. Currently, there is an abundance of medical and physiological research regarding childhood cancer survival into adulthood, including the physical late effects of the disease treatment. There is, however, a limited understanding of if and how childhood cancer survivors make meaning of their illness and how this contributes to their psychosocial functioning, including posttraumatic stress and/or posttraumatic growth. Using a qualitative technique known as photovoice, participants of this study described their experiences with illness and survival via visual story telling. A total of 8 (7 females, 1 male) adult survivors of childhood cancer completed the photovoice protocol and a team of researchers engaged in an interpretive phenomenological analysis of the verbal and visual data. Three themes with accompanying subthemes were identified and include biopsychosocial stressors, meaning-making, an...
Experiences of paradox: a qualitative analysis of living with cancer using a framework approach
Psycho-Oncology, 2014
Objectives: Life-threatening diseases such as cancer represent unique traumas-compared with singular, time-limited traumatic events-given their multidimensional, uncertain, and continuing nature. However, few studies have examined the impact of cancer on patients as a persistent stressor. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore patients' ongoing experiences of living with cancer and the changes encountered in this experience over time.
Parental experience of childhood cancer using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Psychology & Health, 2011
Whilst survival rates for childhood cancer have improved dramatically over the past three decades, it is still a devastating diagnosis for family members and an illness which severely disrupts the lifestyle of the family unit. Developing an understanding of the impact of the illness on the family is crucial to better support families' deal with the demands of the illness. In this study 9 families in which a child was diagnosed with cancer were interviewed twice over a 12 month period, approximately 6 months apart. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a semi-structured interview was used to explicate parent's experience of childhood cancer. The results revealed 5 super ordinate themes; (1) a pivotal moment in time, (2) the experience of adaptation in relation to having a sick child, (3) the nature of support, (4) re-evaluation of values during a critical life experience and (5) the experience of optimism and altruism. Findings indicate that parents express both negative and positive experiences as they reevaluate the meaning and purpose of life, seek to redefine themselves, often in terms of priorities, relationships, sense of community, and achieve degrees of optimism and altruism. Implications for addressing the needs of parents and for further research are discussed.
EXPERIENCING AND EXPLAINING CANCER: A CRITICAL STUDY
Adviser: Professor Shirley Lindenbaum Based on 12 months of fieldwork in İstanbul and Ankara, my dissertation aims at providing a critical reading of Turkish modernity and its reflection in the health realm through an investigation of the illness narratives of cancer patients. It also explores the interactions between the medical and social conceptions of cancer in Turkey, and the ways in which the illness narratives are informed by those conceptions. Analysis of narratives suggests that the patients internalize, reshape or react against the larger, social and medical conceptions in their illness narratives, in accord with their own experiences during their cancer treatment. The patients' socio-economic background and position vis-à-vis Turkish modernity play a crucial role in shaping illness experiences and narratives. The recent social transformation in Turkey and criticisms of Turkish modernity are reflected in the health realm, particularly in terms of the health care providers' categorizations of "good" and "bad" patients, which are informed by the providers' perceptions of the patients' socio-economic status.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2023
Epidemiological studies show that new cases of young oncology patients are increasing by 400,000 every year. Psychological literature has shown that receiving an oncological diagnosis can cause significant psychological stress and discomfort. However, the experiences of young patients and their caregivers as they confront this challenge are not yet fully understood. This paper adopts a qualitative methodological approach to explore how young patients with an oncological diagnosis and their parents make sense of the experiential challenges they face. Thus, the research realized 18 semi-structured interviews, 11 of which were with pediatric and adolescent oncology patients, and 7 of which were with 6 mothers and 1 father. The qualitative thematic analysis revealed that the oncological diagnosis triggers different emotions taking the scene in the attempt to cope with the threats of meaning that the diagnosis poses. However, such intense experience promotes transformative feelings in parents and young patients, leading to important personal growth. Lastly, this article discusses the need to improve palliative psychological care competences in pediatric oncology. By providing comprehensive psychological care to young oncology patients and their families, healthcare providers can mitigate the psychological stress and pain associated with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.