The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University/Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, China.
University of South China School of Nursing, Hengyang, China.
BMJ Open. 2024 Mar 8;14(3):e080220. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080220.
Death anxiety (DA) refers to the negative emotions experienced when a person reflects on the inevitability of their own death, which is common among patients with cancer. It is crucial to understand the causes, coping styles and adjustment processes related to DA. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the adaptation process and outcome of patients with advanced cancer with DA and to provide evidence-based support for the development of targeted intervention measures to improve the mental health of such patients.
This cross-sectional qualitative study sampled patients with advanced cancer (n=20). Grounded theory procedures were used to analyse transcripts and a theoretical model generated.
All interviewees in this study were from a tertiary oncology hospital in Hunan Province, China. The data analysis followed the constructive grounded theory method, involving constant comparison and memo writing.
A purposive and theoretical sampling approach was used to recruit 20 patients with advanced cancer with diverse characteristics.
A total of 20 participants were included in the study. Four stages of DA in patients with advanced cancer were extracted from the interview data: (1) death reminder and prominence; (2) perception and association; (3) defence and control; (4) transformation and Acceptance.
This study highlights the psychological status and coping strategies of dynamic nature of patients with advanced cancer when confronted with negative emotions associated with death. It emphasises the importance of timely identification of DA in psychological nursing for patients with advanced cancer and the need for targeted psychological interventions based on their specific psychological processes.
Knowing interventions that aim to promote the integration of internal and external resources, enhance self-esteem and facilitate a calm and accepting attitude towards death could ultimately reduce the overall DA of patients with advanced cancer.
死亡焦虑（DA）是指当一个人反思自己必然死亡时所产生的负面情绪，癌症患者中较为常见。了解与 DA 相关的原因、应对方式和调整过程至关重要。本质性研究的目的是探讨有 DA 的晚期癌症患者的适应过程和结果，并为制定有针对性的干预措施提供循证支持，以改善此类患者的心理健康。
本横断面质化研究对 20 例晚期癌症患者进行了抽样。使用扎根理论程序分析转录本并生成理论模型。
本研究中的所有受访者均来自中国湖南省的一家三级肿瘤医院。数据分析遵循建设性扎根理论方法，包括不断比较和备忘录写作。
采用目的和理论抽样方法招募了 20 名具有不同特征的晚期癌症患者。
从访谈数据中提取出晚期癌症患者的 DA 四个阶段：（1）死亡提醒和突出；（2）感知和联想；（3）防御和控制；（4）转化和接受。
本研究强调了晚期癌症患者在面对与死亡相关的负面情绪时的心理状态和应对策略的动态性质。它强调了及时识别晚期癌症患者的 DA 在心理护理中的重要性，以及根据其特定心理过程进行有针对性的心理干预的必要性。
了解旨在促进内部和外部资源整合、增强自尊以及促进对死亡平静接受态度的干预措施，最终可能会降低晚期癌症患者的总体 DA。
