Oktay Julianne S, Bellin Melissa H, Scarvalone Susan, Appling Sue, Helzlsouer Kathy J
School of Social Work, University of Maryland.
Prevention Research Center, Mercy Medical Center.
Fam Syst Health. 2011 Jun;29(2):127-137. doi: 10.1037/a0023947.
With improvements in both early detection and treatments for breast cancer, the number of survivors has increased dramatically in recent decades. One of the most common lingering symptoms posttreatment for cancer survivors is chronic fatigue. Based on family stress theory and Rolland's typology of illness, this qualitative study extends our understanding of the impact of persistent posttreatment fatigue on families and how breast cancer survivors manage the family issues that arise because of this chronic stressor. Participants included 35 female survivors of breast cancer (mean age = 54 years) who experienced fatigue after the completion of active cancer treatment, with the exception of long-term hormonal therapy. Data were generated from (a) observations of group sessions from a randomized controlled fatigue intervention designed to reduce fatigue in breast cancer survivors, (b) individual in-depth interviews, and (c) family sessions. Qualitative analysis revealed two broad themes that illustrate how the survivors manage the impact of fatigue on their families: Interpreting the meaning of the fatigue and Dealing with the inability to perform family roles. Study findings describe the difficulties in family adaptation when the family is not able to assign a clear meaning to a chronic symptom posttreatment and build upon family stress theory by highlighting interrelationships among communication patterns and role shifts in the family system.
随着乳腺癌早期检测和治疗方法的改进，近几十年来，乳腺癌幸存者的数量急剧增加。癌症幸存者治疗后最常见的持续症状之一是慢性疲劳。基于家庭压力理论和罗兰的疾病类型学，这项定性研究扩展了我们对治疗后持续疲劳对家庭的影响以及乳腺癌幸存者如何处理因这种慢性压力源而产生的家庭问题的理解。参与者包括35名乳腺癌女性幸存者（平均年龄 = 54岁），她们在完成积极的癌症治疗后（长期激素治疗除外）经历了疲劳。数据来自以下方面：(a) 一项旨在减轻乳腺癌幸存者疲劳的随机对照疲劳干预小组会议的观察结果；(b) 个人深度访谈；以及 (c) 家庭会议。定性分析揭示了两个广泛的主题，说明了幸存者如何应对疲劳对其家庭的影响：解读疲劳的含义以及应对无法履行家庭角色的情况。研究结果描述了当家庭无法为治疗后的慢性症状赋予明确意义时家庭适应方面的困难，并通过强调家庭系统中沟通模式和角色转变之间的相互关系，在家庭压力理论的基础上进行了拓展。
