Dunwoody Lynn, Smyth Angus, Davidson Robin
University of Ulster, Jordanstown, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Int J Palliat Nurs. 2002 Oct;8(10):497-504. doi: 10.12968/ijpn.2002.8.10.10696.
Many patients suffering from cancer make use of complementary therapies, with aromatherapy being a popular choice. Quantitative studies, using questionnaire data, have shown that aromatherapy may reduce psychological distress and enhance symptom control in cancer patients. However, little is known about the personal meanings patients associate with the therapy. This study explored the patients' experiences of aromatherapy using of a focus group interview. Eight themes emerged from the analysis, six of which have been acknowledged to some extent by previous authors: de-stressing effects of aromatherapy, the counselling role of the aromatherapist, aromatherapy as a reward, patient empowerment, communication through touch, and negative aspects of the service. Two apparently new themes emerged concerned with security of context (where the aromatherapy took place) and preconceived perceptions of the value of aromatherapy as a treatment of cancer patients. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the perceived role of counselling, collaborative practice and training in complementary therapies.
许多癌症患者采用辅助疗法，其中芳香疗法是一种受欢迎的选择。使用问卷调查数据的定量研究表明，芳香疗法可能会减轻癌症患者的心理困扰并加强症状控制。然而，对于患者赋予该疗法的个人意义却知之甚少。本研究通过焦点小组访谈探讨了患者对芳香疗法的体验。分析得出了八个主题，其中六个在一定程度上已被先前的作者认可：芳香疗法的减压效果、芳香疗法师的咨询作用、芳香疗法作为一种奖励、患者赋权、通过触摸进行沟通以及服务的负面方面。另外出现了两个明显新的主题，涉及环境的安全性（芳香疗法实施的地点）以及对芳香疗法作为癌症患者治疗方法价值的先入之见。研究结果的含义将结合咨询、协作实践以及辅助疗法培训的感知作用进行讨论。
