Unpacking the psychological and physical well-being of Ghanaian patients with breast cancer

This study explored the psychological and physical well-being of 12 Ghanaian women diagnosed with breast cancer, aged between 22 and 69 years. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with participants to understand their lived experiences following their diagnosis and treatment. Reflexive them...

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Main Authors: Enoch Teye-Kwadjo, Aku-Sika Goka, Yvette Akuokor Afowa Ussher
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-12-01
Series:Dialogues in Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772653322000600
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author Enoch Teye-Kwadjo
Aku-Sika Goka
Yvette Akuokor Afowa Ussher
author_facet Enoch Teye-Kwadjo
Aku-Sika Goka
Yvette Akuokor Afowa Ussher
author_sort Enoch Teye-Kwadjo
collection DOAJ
description This study explored the psychological and physical well-being of 12 Ghanaian women diagnosed with breast cancer, aged between 22 and 69 years. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with participants to understand their lived experiences following their diagnosis and treatment. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcripts. Findings revealed that patients’ psychological and physical well-being relative to breast cancer diagnosis and treatment are marked by (a) persistent pain, (b) concerns with physical appearance, (c) a willingness to lose a breast for survival, (d) positive religious coping, and (e) posttraumatic growth (i.e., positive psychological changes in the aftermath of diagnosis or treatment). The findings suggest that recognising patients’ concerns with pain, physical changes, and the will to lose a breast to survive in the care continuum may yield public health dividends. Moreover, the findings highlight the need for individualised psychotherapeutic interventions to assist the patients to deal with the disease in the aftermath of their diagnosis and treatment.
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spelling doaj.art-802f38cdc6674e32af358a53f8a228ed2022-12-22T04:20:10ZengElsevierDialogues in Health2772-65332022-12-011100060Unpacking the psychological and physical well-being of Ghanaian patients with breast cancerEnoch Teye-Kwadjo0Aku-Sika Goka1Yvette Akuokor Afowa Ussher2Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG84, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Corresponding author.Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG84, Legon, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Adult Education and Human Resource Studies, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG31, Legon, Accra, GhanaThis study explored the psychological and physical well-being of 12 Ghanaian women diagnosed with breast cancer, aged between 22 and 69 years. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with participants to understand their lived experiences following their diagnosis and treatment. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcripts. Findings revealed that patients’ psychological and physical well-being relative to breast cancer diagnosis and treatment are marked by (a) persistent pain, (b) concerns with physical appearance, (c) a willingness to lose a breast for survival, (d) positive religious coping, and (e) posttraumatic growth (i.e., positive psychological changes in the aftermath of diagnosis or treatment). The findings suggest that recognising patients’ concerns with pain, physical changes, and the will to lose a breast to survive in the care continuum may yield public health dividends. Moreover, the findings highlight the need for individualised psychotherapeutic interventions to assist the patients to deal with the disease in the aftermath of their diagnosis and treatment.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772653322000600Women’s healthbreast cancerchemotherapyreflexive thematic analysis
spellingShingle Enoch Teye-Kwadjo
Aku-Sika Goka
Yvette Akuokor Afowa Ussher
Unpacking the psychological and physical well-being of Ghanaian patients with breast cancer
Dialogues in Health
Women’s health
breast cancer
chemotherapy
reflexive thematic analysis
title Unpacking the psychological and physical well-being of Ghanaian patients with breast cancer
title_full Unpacking the psychological and physical well-being of Ghanaian patients with breast cancer
title_fullStr Unpacking the psychological and physical well-being of Ghanaian patients with breast cancer
title_full_unstemmed Unpacking the psychological and physical well-being of Ghanaian patients with breast cancer
title_short Unpacking the psychological and physical well-being of Ghanaian patients with breast cancer
title_sort unpacking the psychological and physical well being of ghanaian patients with breast cancer
topic Women’s health
breast cancer
chemotherapy
reflexive thematic analysis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772653322000600
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