School of Health Services, Clinical Affairs Division, Ambulatory Healthcare Services, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
Psychooncology. 2017 Nov;26(11):1888-1893. doi: 10.1002/pon.4402. Epub 2017 Mar 2.
This study explored Arab women's experiences following the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 Arab women attending a public hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, following a recent diagnosis of breast cancer. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using the thematic method.
Arab women's experiences following their breast cancer diagnoses and treatments included the themes of (1) protecting one's self from stigma, (2) facing uncertainties and prayers, and (3) getting on with life. Overall, the ways to find solace were through isolation and prayer, which are heavily influenced by religion and spiritual practices. They recommended that to help women with breast cancer, a campaign to raise awareness for early screening is needed as well the need to form a peer-led support group for women with breast cancer consisting of breast cancer survivors so that they can learn from each other's experiences.
Arab women with breast cancer experienced a myriad of social, cultural, psychological, and relationship difficulties that impacted their overall health and well-being. The findings also found that these women were not passive agents. They sought to solve problem, move forward, and recreate the meanings in their lives in their own unique ways. Action is needed for possible ways to implement religion-health partnerships between breast cancer nurses, peer-led support groups, palliative care services, and religious institutions.
本研究探讨了阿拉伯女性在诊断和治疗乳腺癌后的经历。
对 20 名在阿拉伯联合酋长国阿布扎比的一家公立医院接受乳腺癌近期诊断的阿拉伯女性进行了面对面深入访谈。所有访谈均逐字转录，并使用主题方法进行分析。
阿拉伯女性在诊断和治疗乳腺癌后的经历包括以下主题：（1）保护自己免受污名化，（2）面对不确定性和祈祷，（3）继续生活。总体而言，寻找安慰的方式是通过隔离和祈祷，这受到宗教和精神实践的强烈影响。她们建议，为了帮助乳腺癌患者，需要开展早期筛查宣传活动，还需要组建一个由乳腺癌幸存者组成的、面向乳腺癌患者的同伴支持小组，以便她们可以从彼此的经验中学习。
患有乳腺癌的阿拉伯女性经历了一系列社会、文化、心理和人际关系困难，这些困难影响了她们的整体健康和幸福感。研究结果还发现，这些女性并非被动的参与者。她们试图以自己独特的方式解决问题、向前迈进，并重新创造生活中的意义。需要采取行动，在乳腺癌护士、同伴支持小组、姑息治疗服务和宗教机构之间建立宗教-健康伙伴关系的可能途径。
