The Disease Process Experiences of Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in the Psycho-Social Context

Abstract

This study aims to reveal how women diagnosed with breast cancer experience the disease process in the psychosocial context. The participants of the phenomenological designed study consisted of 10 women diagnosed with breast cancer. The findings that were obtained through semi-structured interviews centered around the themes of responses to the disease, coping strategies, sources of social support, and existential reflections. With regards to the responses to the disease, the participants’ responses when diagnosed with breast cancer were under the sub-themes of shock, emptiness, mental breakdown, inability to accept the diagnosis, despair, seeking social support, anxiety, and self-blame; and after the diagnosis, they were under the sub-themes of acceptance, anxiety, sadness, and helplessness. The coping strategies used by the women included the sub-themes of coping through spirituality, social support, obtaining information, exercise, and nutrition. The social support sources of women fell under the sub-themes of spouse support, friend support, support of other family members, and physician support. In terms of existential reflections, the women were found to have experienced the sub-themes of maturing, re-interpreting life, and facing death.

Keywords

• Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Coping Strategies
• Social Support
• Existential Anxiety

Meme Kanseri Tanılı Kadınların Psiko-Sosyal Açıdan Hastalık Sürecindeki Yaşantılarının İncelenmesi

Abstract

Bu araştırmanın amacı meme kanseri tanısı alan kadınların hastalık sürecini psiko-sosyal bağlamda nasıl deneyimlediklerini ortaya koymaktır. Fenomenolojik desende yapılan araştırmanın katılımcılarını 10 meme kanseri tanılı kadın oluşturmuştur. Yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelerle elde edilen bulgular, psikososyal bağlamda hastalık sürecindeki deneyimlerin hastalığa verilen tepkiler, başa çıkma stratejileri, sosyal destek kaynakları ve varoluşsal yansımalar temalarında toplanmıştır. Hastalığa verilen tepkiler bağlamında kadınların meme kanseri tanısı aldığında şok, boşluk, ruhsal çöküntü, kabullenmeme, ümitsizlik, sosyal destek arama, kaygı ve kendini suçlama ve tanı aldıktan sonra ise kabullenme, kaygı, üzüntü ve acizlik alt temalarında tepki verdiklerini göstermiştir. Kadınların kullandıkları başa çıkma stratejileri ise maneviyat, sosyal destek, bilgi edinme, egzersiz ve beslenme yolu ile başa çıkma alt temalarını içermiştir. Sosyal destek kaynakları ise eş desteği, arkadaş desteği ve diğer aile üyelerinin desteği ve hekim desteği alt temaları olarak elde edilmiştir. Varoluşsal yansımalar açısından ise kadınların hastalık sürecinde olgunlaşma, yaşamı yeniden anlamlandırma ve ölümle yüzleşmek alt temalarına sahip olduğu bulunmuştur.

Keywords

• Kanser
• Meme Kanseri
• Başa Çıkma Stratejileri
• Sosyal Destek
• Varoluşsal Kaygı

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