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...
Main Authors: | , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-12-01
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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. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:59:24Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-802f38cdc6674e32af358a53f8a228ed |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2772-6533 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:59:24Z |
publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
publisher | Elsevier |
record_format | Article |
series | Dialogues in Health |
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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