Men with cancer : psychosocial issues, health behaviours, coping and help seeking (original) (raw)

Aspects of men coping with cancer

Journal of Nursing Ufpe Online, 2016

Objectives: to identify ways of coping used by a group of men with cancer under treatment and discuss the sources of support during cancer treatment. Method: this is a descriptive study of a qualitative approach whose participants were 12 adult males under outpatient cancer treatment and admitted to a university hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro/RJ. The production of data came from semi-structured interview. The thematic analysis was made by the exploitation of the material with survey of the registration units. Results: after analyzing the following categories were presented: << Hope and faith as a way of coping cancer >> and << Family and friends as a support network for men with cancer >>. Conclusion: the results showed the need to implement nursing interventions to strengthen coping skills and support of these men during the oncological treatment, aiming to promote their well-being.

Understanding variation in men’s help-seeking for cancer symptoms: A semistructured interview study

Psychology of Men & Masculinities

Men appear more likely to delay seeking medical advice for cancer symptoms, resulting in later stage at diagnosis and poorer health outcomes. Limited research has investigated variation in men's experiences of and responses to cancer symptoms. This study examined the psychosocial aspects of men's help-seeking for cancer symptoms, as well as potential variation across men residing in urban and rural Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with men recently diagnosed with cancer (n=13). Participants' partners (n=8) were recruited to enable data triangulation. Interview schedules addressed participants' pathway to cancer treatment, cancer knowledge, masculinity, and rural living. A theoretical thematic analysis approach was used. Medical help-seeking behaviour was similar for participants residing in urban and rural areas. Five key themes and one sub-theme were identified, including: symptom factors, traditional masculine norms (sub-theme: women's health-related responsibilities), level of concern, conflicting responsibilities and access, and trust in medical professionals. Participants from rural Australia experienced greater access difficulties and noted optimism regarding symptoms. Results highlight important within-gender differences in the psychosocial barriers to help-seeking for cancer symptoms. Future research should further explore variation between men and test the predictive strength of factors.

Intervening to improve psychological outcomes for men with prostate cancer

Psycho-Oncology, 2012

Cancer is a leading cause of burden of disease in Australia. The diagnosis of cancer is a major life stress with heightened psychological distress common and unmet psychological supportive care needs highly prevalent. There is a clinical imperative to provide accessible evidence-based psychosocial therapies to patients and their families in order to reduce distress and optimise psychological outcomes.

Systematic review of post-treatment psychosocial and behaviour change interventions for men with cancer

Psycho-oncology, 2010

Objectives: The psychosocial impacts of a cancer diagnosis include reduced quality of life, poorer inter-personal relationships, hopelessness and mental illness. Worse outcomes, including mortality rates have been found for single men with cancer compared with women and partnered men. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness of post-treatment psychosocial and behaviour change interventions for adult men with cancer, in order to inform the development of an intervention. A focus on single men was intended.Methods: Ten databases were searched via Ovid and Web of Science. Papers were systematically extracted by title, abstract and full paper according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Full papers were assessed by two authors. Inclusion criteria: participants at any stage of a cancer diagnosis, ⩾50% male and aged 18+; psychosocial and/or behavioural post-treatment interventions, using any format; a one–three level of evidence. Couple/carer/family interventions were excluded.Results: From 9948 studies initially identified, 11 were finally included in the review. They implemented cognitive behaviour therapy, hypnosis or psychoeducational interventions. All studies had some positive results, however, lack of reporting of intervention content and methodological issues limit the findings. No studies intervened with single men, and none provided comparative outcomes for marital status.Conclusions: Effectiveness of interventions was difficult to assess as, while all had benefits, their generalisability was limited due to methodological and reporting limitations. Improved reporting procedures are required to allow for replication. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Supportive care needs of men living with prostate cancer in England: a survey

British journal of cancer, 2008

Men with prostate cancer have various treatment options depending upon their stage of disease, age and presence of comorbidity. However, these treatments typically induce side effects, which generate currently ill-defined supportive care needs. This study examined the supportive care needs of men with prostate cancer within England. A postal questionnaire survey was conducted in six acute NHS Trusts. Seven hundred and forty-one men with prostate cancer participated. They had been diagnosed 3-24 months prior to the survey and had received various treatments. Men surveyed had specific and significant unmet supportive care needs. Areas of greatest need are related to psychological distress, sexuality-related issues and management of enduring lower urinary tract symptoms. High levels of psychological distress were reported, and those reporting psychological distress reported greater unmet supportive care needs. Unmet sexuality-related need was highest in younger men following radical pr...

Male coping processes as demonstrated in the context of a cancer-related social support group

Supportive Care in Cancer, 2012

Purpose The coping styles of five adult men within the context of a cancer-related social support group and their preferences regarding group support were examined. Methods Considering the paucity of literature on male coping processes within a cancer-related social support group, qualitative methods were employed. Specifically, template analysis was used to analyze the range and quality of coping styles. Results In contrast to the commonly cited solitary and emotionally restricted coping qualities associated with the male gender role, an emphasis on seeking connection and emotional support in their coping efforts was discovered. Preferences of group qualities (e.g., participant characteristics and session topics) that emerged included an interest in connection, mixed sex groups, and groups composed of mixed diagnoses. Conclusions The findings of this study can contribute to the development of interventions aimed at increasing the effectiveness of male coping in group-focused supportive services in cancer care.