Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Psychooncology. 2013 Jul;22(7):1639-44. doi: 10.1002/pon.3192. Epub 2012 Sep 20.
To better understand processes affecting return to work (RTW) after breast cancer, more knowledge from the perspective of sickness absentees is warranted. Still, research based on women's own reasoning and actions in RTW is very scarce. This study aims to elucidate how women with breast cancer reflect and act on work-related issues.
Thematic analyses of data from four focus group interviews with 23 women who had had breast cancer surgery in the previous 3-13 months were carried out.
The five following themes of reflections regarding RTW were identified: 'health and functioning', 'self-esteem/integrity', 'value of work', 'relationships at work', and 'social circumstances'. These reflections were associated with the three identified themes of actions taken by the women: 'to work or to be sickness absent', 'to adjust work according to own needs or not', and 'to disclose or to hide one's cancer'. There was a distinct difference between women who experienced work as a source of well-being and those who needed a respite from work.
This study adds knowledge to the process of RTW after breast cancer and focuses on factors that lead the women to an active role in this process. We point to the interplay between women's own preferences, perceived competence, outer opportunities, and the actions each woman take with regard to RTW, which need to be recognized by all stakeholders involved. Furthermore, it continues to be essential to address the specific issue of disclosure in the workplace because this may be distressing for women.
为了更好地了解乳腺癌后重返工作岗位（RTW）的影响过程，需要从病假员工的角度获得更多的知识。然而，基于女性在 RTW 中自我推理和行动的研究非常稀缺。本研究旨在阐明乳腺癌女性如何反思和处理与工作相关的问题。
对 23 名乳腺癌手术后 3-13 个月的女性进行的 4 次焦点小组访谈数据进行主题分析。
确定了五个关于 RTW 的反思主题：“健康和功能”、“自尊/完整性”、“工作价值”、“工作关系”和“社会环境”。这些反思与女性采取的三个行动主题相关：“工作或病假”、“根据自身需求调整工作或不调整”和“披露或隐瞒癌症”。那些将工作视为幸福源泉的女性和那些需要从工作中休息的女性之间存在明显差异。
本研究增加了乳腺癌后 RTW 过程的知识，并关注导致女性在这一过程中积极参与的因素。我们指出了女性自身偏好、感知能力、外部机会以及每位女性在 RTW 方面采取的行动之间的相互作用，所有相关利益相关者都需要认识到这一点。此外，继续解决工作场所中披露的具体问题仍然很重要，因为这可能会给女性带来困扰。
