Hamilton Jill B, Worthy Valarie C, Moore Angelo D, Best Nakia C, Stewart Jennifer M, Song Mi-Kyung
Department of Community-Public Health, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, 525 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Triangle Chapter, Sisters Network, Inc., Durham, NC, 27707, USA.
J Cancer Educ. 2017 Mar;32(1):190-197. doi: 10.1007/s13187-015-0895-z.
This qualitative study explored strategies family members of African-American cancer patients used to overcome their fears and fatalistic attitudes toward cancer. Twenty-four family members were recruited through criterion purposeful sampling. Data were collected and analyzed using open-ended interviews and thematic analysis. Fears and fatalistic attitudes could be traced to personal experiences with cancer and information being communicated within their networks. Strategies used to overcome fears and fatalistic attitudes toward cancer included an awareness of advances in cancer treatments, information obtained from their health-care providers, and faith in God. Family members supported the patient through efforts of encouraging them to talk about what they were going through, to be strong, to maintain a positive environment and normalcy, and to use spirituality as a source of strength. Family members also suggested that health-care providers and researchers tailor intervention studies to consider that the patient is a part of a larger family system and that the entire family needs support to overcome long-held fears and fatalistic attitudes toward cancer. These findings suggest that despite advances in cancer care and widespread media coverage to change perceptions about cancer, fears and fatalistic attitudes toward cancer persist and likely influence the family members' ability to optimally support the cancer patient. At the time of diagnosis, both patient and the entire family unit should be educated of advances in cancer care, that cancer is no longer a death sentence, and supported to overcome fears and fatalistic attitudes.
这项定性研究探讨了非裔美国癌症患者的家庭成员用来克服对癌症的恐惧和宿命论态度的策略。通过标准目的抽样招募了24名家庭成员。使用开放式访谈和主题分析收集并分析了数据。恐惧和宿命论态度可追溯到个人的癌症经历以及其社交网络中传播的信息。用来克服对癌症的恐惧和宿命论态度的策略包括了解癌症治疗的进展、从医疗保健提供者那里获得的信息以及对上帝的信仰。家庭成员通过鼓励患者谈论他们正在经历的事情、保持坚强、维持积极的环境和正常生活以及将精神信仰作为力量源泉等努力来支持患者。家庭成员还建议医疗保健提供者和研究人员调整干预研究，以考虑到患者是一个更大的家庭系统的一部分，整个家庭需要支持来克服长期以来对癌症的恐惧和宿命论态度。这些发现表明，尽管癌症治疗取得了进展，且媒体广泛报道以改变对癌症的看法，但对癌症的恐惧和宿命论态度仍然存在，并可能影响家庭成员为癌症患者提供最佳支持的能力。在诊断时，患者和整个家庭都应该了解癌症治疗的进展，即癌症不再是死刑判决，并得到支持以克服恐惧和宿命论态度。
