{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: 'Only to reconcile with it'. The coping experience amongst middle-aged and older cancer survivors: A qualitative study.
{Author}: He Y;Zhao W;Duan A;Xiao H;Zhou X;Zhuo Q;
{Journal}: Health Expect
{Volume}: 27
{Issue}: 2
{Year}: 2024 Apr
{Factor}: 3.318
{DOI}: 10.1111/hex.14048
{Abstract}: <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Cancer threat is relevant to age, and the threat of a foreshortened life coupled with a lengthy treatment process negatively affects middle-aged and older adults. Understanding the coping throughout the cancer experience in middle-aged and older cancer survivors will help develop supportive care to promote their physiological and psychological coping effects.<BR><B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To explore the cancer coping experiences of middle-aged adults aged 40-59 and older adults over 60.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>A descriptive phenomenological study was employed.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Face-to-face, in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 oncology patients in a tertiary university hospital aged 40 or above from August to October 2023. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis procedures.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Five themes and 13 subthemes were formed through analysis: acceptance of cancer (considering cancer as chronic, believing in fate and attributing cancer to karma); having different information needs (desired to be truthfully informed, information-seeking behaviour, information avoidance behaviour); getting families involved (developing dependent behaviours, feeling emotional support, family members suffering worse); striving to maintain positive psychological state (positive thinking, seeking peer support) and negative experience (undesirable, low self-esteem).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Our study reveals that cancer survivors' attitudes towards having cancer have changed from a death sentence to a more positive perception of a chronic disease. Supportive programmes for developing coping strategies should consider the cultural traditions and religious beliefs, different information needs, involvement of family and promoting a positive psychological state while avoiding negative factors.<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>Participants with experience of coping with cancer were involved in the semistructured interview.