A qualitative study exploring women's psychosocial experiences of curative treatment of cervical cancer and their subjective well-being

Date
2020-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The high prevalence and burden of cervical cancer in developing countries has spurred on much research into preventing and screening for the disease. However, little research has focussed on the experience of living with the disease and undergoing treatment for it in South Africa. This study sought to collect in-depth accounts relating to women’s psychosocial experiences during the trajectory of cervical cancer. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 women who had completed curative treatment for cervical cancer at Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, to gather information relating to their experiences. The researcher formulated questions considering the main objectives of the study, which were aimed at exploring the knowledge and awareness of women with regards to cervical cancer and how this changed during their experience, their psychosocial experiences at the time of diagnosis and during the course of treatment, and how their subjective-wellbeing was influenced. Interviews were analysed with the application of the principles of thematic analysis, and the arising themes were then conceptualised with the use of the Illness Intrusiveness Theoretical Framework.The results of this study indicated that women experienced both treatment and disease factors which interacted to influence their daily lives and subjective well-being. Limited knowledge pertaining to the cervical cancer was reported, yet women gained insight into their condition throughout the trajectory of the disease by interacting and communicating with healthcare providers and other women who shared similar experiences. Such communications played an important role in dispelling the misinformation and stigmatising ideas that women reported encountering, which had influenced their attitudes in response to their prognosis and their decision of whether to disclose their diagnosis. Supportive interpersonal relationships with partners and older children also emerged as important. These reported factors and experiences ultimately interacted to influence women’s subjective well-being.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoë voorkoms en las van servikale kankerin ontwikkelende lande het gelei tot baie navorsing om die siekte te voorkom en te ondersoek. Min navorsing het egter gefokus op die ervaring om met die siekte saam te leefen in Suid-Afrika daarvoor te behandel. Hierdie studie het gepoog om diepgaande verslae te versamel rakende vroue se psigososiale ervarings tydens die trajek van servikale kanker. Die navorser het semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude gevoer met 15 vroue wat genesende behandeling vir servikale kankerin Tygerberg-hospitaal, Kaapstad, voltooi het om inligting oor hul ervarings in te samel. Die navorser het vrae geformuleer met inagneming van die hoofdoelstellings van die studie, wat daarop gemik was om die kennis en bewustheid van vroue metbetrekking tot servikale kankerte ondersoek en hoe dit tydens hul ervaring verander het, hul psigososiale ervarings tydens die diagnose en tydens die behandeling, en hoe hul subjektiewe welstand beïnvloed is. Onderhoude is geanaliseer met die toepassing van die beginsels van tematiese analise, en die opkomende temas is daarna gekonseptualiseer met die gebruik van dieTeoretiese Raamwerk vir Siekte-indringendheid. Die resultate van hierdie studie het aangedui dat vroue sowel behandelings-as siektefaktore ervaar wat 'n invloed gehad het op hul daaglikse lewe en subjektiewe welsyn. Daar is beperkte kennis rakende servikale kankergerapporteer, maar tog het vroue insig gekry in hul toestand gedurende die trajek van die siekte deur interaksie en kommunikasie met gesondheidsorgverskaffers en ander vroue wat soortgelyke ervarings gedeel het. Sulke kommunikasie het 'n belangrike rol gespeel in die verdryfvan die verkeerdeinligting en die stigmatiserende idees wat vroue gerapporteer het,wat hul houding beïnvloed het in reaksie op hul voorspelling en hul besluit om hul diagnose bekend te maak. Ondersteunende interpersoonlike verhoudings met vennote en ouer kinders het ook as belangrik na vore gekom. Hierdie gerapporteerde faktore en ervarings het uiteindelik saam gewerkom die subjektiewe welstand van vroue te beïnvloed.
Description
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
Keywords
Cervical cancer, UCTD, Health psychology, Women -- Medical care -- Psychological aspects, Oncology -- Psychological aspects
Citation