Friendship during patients’ stable and unstable phases of incurable cancer: a qualitative interview study
Objectives Little is known about the added value of friendship during the care of intensive cancer disease trajectories. Friends, however, can play an important (caring-)role to increase their friends’ (mental) well-being. We explored the experiences and desires of friends while their ill friends we...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/11/e058801.full |
| _version_ | 1811319557768347648 |
|---|---|
| author | Hilde M Buiting Gabe S Sonke Michelle van Eijk Daniel H de Vries |
| author_facet | Hilde M Buiting Gabe S Sonke Michelle van Eijk Daniel H de Vries |
| author_sort | Hilde M Buiting |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives Little is known about the added value of friendship during the care of intensive cancer disease trajectories. Friends, however, can play an important (caring-)role to increase their friends’ (mental) well-being. We explored the experiences and desires of friends while their ill friends were—most of the time—in a stable phase of incurable cancer.Design Qualitative study in the Netherlands based on 14 in-depth interviews with friends of patients living with incurable cancer. Interviews were performed at the home setting or the friend’s office. Data gathering was inspired by grounded theory and analysed with a thematic analysis.Setting The home setting/friend’s office.Results Friends reported to experience difficulties in how and how often they wanted to approach their ill friends. They emphasised the ever-present knowledge of cancer inside their friends’ body as a ‘time bomb’. They seemed to balance between the wish to take care for their ill friend, having a good time and not knowing what their ill friend desired at specific times. Some friends felt burdened with or forced to provide more care than they could, although they acknowledged that this relationship provided space to reflect about their own life.Conclusions Friends are constantly negotiating and renegotiating their relationship depending on the severity of the disease, transparency of patients about their illness, their previous experiences and personal circumstances in life. Although a decrease in friendship may impact a patient’s quality of life, friends also need to be protected against providing more care than they are willing or able to give. Healthcare professionals, being aware of this phenomenon, can assist in this. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:44:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cb354cf95c17497f80d00ff74af499a6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:44:59Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-cb354cf95c17497f80d00ff74af499a62022-12-22T02:46:24ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-11-01121110.1136/bmjopen-2021-058801Friendship during patients’ stable and unstable phases of incurable cancer: a qualitative interview studyHilde M Buiting0Gabe S Sonke1Michelle van Eijk2Daniel H de Vries31 Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands1 Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsFaculty of Social and Behavioural Science, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsFaculty of Social and Behavioural Science, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsObjectives Little is known about the added value of friendship during the care of intensive cancer disease trajectories. Friends, however, can play an important (caring-)role to increase their friends’ (mental) well-being. We explored the experiences and desires of friends while their ill friends were—most of the time—in a stable phase of incurable cancer.Design Qualitative study in the Netherlands based on 14 in-depth interviews with friends of patients living with incurable cancer. Interviews were performed at the home setting or the friend’s office. Data gathering was inspired by grounded theory and analysed with a thematic analysis.Setting The home setting/friend’s office.Results Friends reported to experience difficulties in how and how often they wanted to approach their ill friends. They emphasised the ever-present knowledge of cancer inside their friends’ body as a ‘time bomb’. They seemed to balance between the wish to take care for their ill friend, having a good time and not knowing what their ill friend desired at specific times. Some friends felt burdened with or forced to provide more care than they could, although they acknowledged that this relationship provided space to reflect about their own life.Conclusions Friends are constantly negotiating and renegotiating their relationship depending on the severity of the disease, transparency of patients about their illness, their previous experiences and personal circumstances in life. Although a decrease in friendship may impact a patient’s quality of life, friends also need to be protected against providing more care than they are willing or able to give. Healthcare professionals, being aware of this phenomenon, can assist in this.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/11/e058801.full |
| spellingShingle | Hilde M Buiting Gabe S Sonke Michelle van Eijk Daniel H de Vries Friendship during patients’ stable and unstable phases of incurable cancer: a qualitative interview study BMJ Open |
| title | Friendship during patients’ stable and unstable phases of incurable cancer: a qualitative interview study |
| title_full | Friendship during patients’ stable and unstable phases of incurable cancer: a qualitative interview study |
| title_fullStr | Friendship during patients’ stable and unstable phases of incurable cancer: a qualitative interview study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Friendship during patients’ stable and unstable phases of incurable cancer: a qualitative interview study |
| title_short | Friendship during patients’ stable and unstable phases of incurable cancer: a qualitative interview study |
| title_sort | friendship during patients stable and unstable phases of incurable cancer a qualitative interview study |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/11/e058801.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hildembuiting friendshipduringpatientsstableandunstablephasesofincurablecanceraqualitativeinterviewstudy AT gabessonke friendshipduringpatientsstableandunstablephasesofincurablecanceraqualitativeinterviewstudy AT michellevaneijk friendshipduringpatientsstableandunstablephasesofincurablecanceraqualitativeinterviewstudy AT danielhdevries friendshipduringpatientsstableandunstablephasesofincurablecanceraqualitativeinterviewstudy |