"Psychosocial adaptation challenges: striving for a new normal": the lived experiences of young and middle-aged lung cancer survivors after surgery.
Source: PubMed, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine
To explore the postoperative psychosocial adaptation challenges of young and middle-aged lung cancer survivors, with a focus on their lived experiences, perceptions, and underlying cultural influences, including social roles, etiquette, and family expectations, to guide the development of more precise and culturally sensitive psychosocial support. A qualitative descriptive design was conducted. A total of 21 young and middle-aged lung cancer survivors were purposively recruited and interviewed using a semi-structured guide. The data were organized by NVivo 11.0 and qualitatively analyzed using thematic analysis. We generated an overarching theme, "psychosocial adaptation challenges: striving for a new normal". Four themes were identified: (1) unbearable threat of death, including inability to endure death, and fear of cancer recurrence; (2) symptom distress, including clearly stated symptoms and subjectively ambiguous symptoms; (3) restrictions on daily life, including activity intolerance, imposed dietary restriction, withdrawal from social activities, and adjusted work engagement; and (4) being treated differently, including feeling isolated or discriminated against, a burden of goodwill, and longing for normal. Young and middle-aged survivors following lung cancer surgery experienced severe psychosocial adaptation challenges, including challenges specific to this life stage. This study emphasizes the need for postoperative care to attend to physical recovery, psychological
Abstract
To explore the postoperative psychosocial adaptation challenges of young and middle-aged lung cancer survivors, with a focus on their lived experiences, perceptions, and underlying cultural influences, including social roles, etiquette, and family expectations, to guide the development of more precise and culturally sensitive psychosocial support. A qualitative descriptive design was conducted. A total of 21 young and middle-aged lung cancer survivors were purposively recruited and interviewed using a semi-structured guide. The data were organized by NVivo 11.0 and qualitatively analyzed using thematic analysis. We generated an overarching theme, "psychosocial adaptation challenges: striving for a new normal". Four themes were identified: (1) unbearable threat of death, including inability to endure death, and fear of cancer recurrence; (2) symptom distress, including clearly stated symptoms and subjectively ambiguous symptoms; (3) restrictions on daily life, including activity intolerance, imposed dietary restriction, withdrawal from social activities, and adjusted work engagement; and (4) being treated differently, including feeling isolated or discriminated against, a burden of goodwill, and longing for normal. Young and middle-aged survivors following lung cancer surgery experienced severe psychosocial adaptation challenges, including challenges specific to this life stage. This study emphasizes the need for postoperative care to attend to physical recovery, psychological adjustment, and social-role reconstruction among lung cancer survivors.