Browsing by Author "Sutherland, Elna"

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    Subjective psychosocial experiences of South African breast cancer patients receiving diagnosis and treatment
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Sutherland, Elna; Kagee, S. Ashraf; Roomaney, Rizwana; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: The present study is an attempt to explore, describe, and interpretively understand the lived psychosocial experiences of individual breast cancer patients receiving diagnosis and treatment from a first-person perspective. The aim of this study was to provide subjective evidence of high significance, emphasizing the importance of incorporating customized psychosocial support as part of multidisciplinary health care. Customized psychosocial support could potentially increase positive health outcomes. This qualitative study adopted a case study design using a phenomenological research approach. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was the explorative and flexible research method of choice. The participants were purposively selected. Participant selection was based on shared characteristics. Data were collected from 10 eligible breast cancer patients reporting at the Breast Clinic, from which three case studies were selected for analysis. Semi-structured interviews were employed for data collection. Narratives were audio recorded and transcribed by the researcher. The analysis of each of the selected three case studies led to the emergence of a single overarching psychological concept of what it means to live with breast cancer, namely, loss of personal identity. The findings across the three case studies revealed similarities within different experiences, as well as differences within similar experiences. Perceptions of breast cancer were shaped by parental influences, perceived lack of knowledge and obscurity. Experiences pertaining to breast cancer diagnosis included repudiation, experiential avoidance, fatalism and transient global amnesia. Experiences related to treatment 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 of interpreted findings. Participants’ descriptions demonstrated the significant impact of breast cancer 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 breast encompasses a loss of personal identity. Living with breast cancer and related experiences are unexplored areas in South African Women’s Health Psychology. This study illustrates the value of exploring particular existential breast cancer experiences in developing customized health care. This study provides a foundation for future(larger and more representative) studies that can build on the findings of this study.