Negash Berhan Tsegaye, Alelign Yitateku
College of Medicine and Health Science, Department of Midwifery, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
BMC Cancer. 2025 Apr 7;25(1):621. doi: 10.1186/s12885-025-14023-0.
Cancer causes stress that impairs overall health of clients, their family members and health providers regardless of its stage. Despite the presence of various types of coping strategies to improve quality of life of patients, their family members and health providers, little is explored about the issue in the study area.
To explore the lived experience of stress and coping strategies of cancer among patients, their family members and health care providers at cancer treatment centre of Hawassa University comprehensive specialized hospital.
Phenomenological study design was conducted to understand the lived experience of stress and coping strategies of people with cancer, their family members and health providers. Twenty patients with their respective family care giver were interviewed followed by two focus groups discussions of health professionals. Study participants were selected purposively. After verbatim transcription and coding, mixed thematic analysis was conducted using Microsoft word.
A total of three main themes have been emerged during analysis: stress, coping strategies and interaction. Each of the main themes was further categorized into patient, family member and health provider perspectives. From client perspective stress can be categorized into: emotional, physical, mental and behavioural stress. Emotional stress, financial hardship and behavioural stress are the dominant cause of stress among family members. Health providers describe emotional strain and lack of infrastructure is the key source of stress. Almost all patients adopted active coping strategies such as accepting the realities, seeking support, religious values, being creative. Providing support, being spiritual and strengthening bond with the families were clearly explained coping strategies among patients. In addition team work and physical care are among the coping mechanism of health providers. Regarding interaction and dynamism, Client-family interaction was manifested as hiding information, advocacy, decision making, role change and social and emotional support categories. On the other hand, client provider interaction manifested as showed communication, holistic care, cooperation and building trust.
Patients with cancer suffered from many different stress types. They applied multiple positive forms of coping strategies. The findings enrich the limited existing literature on this understudied population and provide direction for the future development of interventions to improve their psychological well-being.
癌症会引发压力，无论处于何种阶段，都会损害患者、其家庭成员及医疗服务提供者的整体健康。尽管存在各种应对策略来改善患者、其家庭成员及医疗服务提供者的生活质量，但在研究领域，对此问题的探讨却很少。
探讨在哈瓦萨大学综合专科医院癌症治疗中心，患者、其家庭成员及医护人员在癌症方面的压力生活体验及应对策略。
采用现象学研究设计，以了解癌症患者、其家庭成员及医护人员的压力生活体验及应对策略。对20名患者及其各自的家庭护理人员进行了访谈，随后对医护人员进行了两次焦点小组讨论。研究参与者是有目的地选取的。在逐字转录和编码后，使用Microsoft word进行混合主题分析。
分析过程中总共出现了三个主要主题：压力、应对策略和互动。每个主要主题又进一步从患者、家庭成员和医护人员的角度进行了分类。从患者角度来看，压力可分为：情绪、身体、心理和行为压力。情绪压力、经济困难和行为压力是家庭成员压力的主要原因。医护人员表示，情绪紧张和基础设施不足是压力的关键来源。几乎所有患者都采取了积极的应对策略，如接受现实、寻求支持、宗教信仰、发挥创造力。患者明确阐述的应对策略包括提供支持、保持精神信仰以及加强与家人的联系。此外，团队合作和身体护理是医护人员的应对机制之一。关于互动和活力，患者与家人的互动表现为隐瞒信息、支持、决策、角色转变以及社会和情感支持等类别。另一方面，患者与医护人员的互动表现为沟通、整体护理、合作和建立信任。
癌症患者遭受多种不同类型的压力。他们采用了多种积极的应对策略形式。这些发现丰富了关于这一研究不足人群的现有有限文献，并为未来改善他们心理健康的干预措施发展提供了方向。
