scholarly journals The spiritual beliefs of cancer survivors: A thematic analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-157
Author(s):  
Devaki Nandan Sharma ◽  
Gyanesh Kumar Tiwari ◽  
Pramod Kumar Rai
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Thinking ◽  
Spiritual Beliefs ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Psychological Balance ◽  
Future Orientations

Aim This study explored the nature of spiritual beliefs and their role in regulating various life outcomes of cancer survivors. Method A heterogeneous sample of thirty diagnosed cancer patients with age ranging from 18 to 75 years participated in the study. The study employed a qualitative research design which involved semi-structured interviews and the thematic analysis of the audiotaped contents of these interviews. Results The analyses led to five themes regarding the spiritual beliefs of the participants. The identified themes were: “optimistic change towards life”, “fighting spirit towards life”, “enhanced trust in family and friends”, “improved realistic self-perception”, and “positive thinking with future orientations”. Conclusions The findings of the study showed that spiritual beliefs represented a complex phenomenon comprising cognitive, affective and behavioural components. Spiritual beliefs also carried many positive outcomes to regain and maintain psychological balance, well-being, quality of life and health. It also facilitated the patients to have strong desires to compensate their losses due to ill health by setting and achieving higher spiritual, social and interpersonal goals by carrying out social services, sacrifice and altruistic deeds.

scholarly journals Community Supported Agriculture as a Driver of Food-Related Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilona Liliána Birtalan ◽  
Attila Bartha ◽  
Ágnes Neulinger ◽  
György Bárdos ◽  
Attila Oláh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Nutritional Characteristics

Background: There is a growing amount of research interest to understand the role of food in well-being. The demand for community supported agriculture (CSA), bringing people spatially, economically, and socially closer to food, is continuously expanding. CSAs play an important role in both sustainable agriculture practices and influencing consumers’ food-related practices, but yet have received little attention in well-being research. Methods: This study explores food-related well-being among CSA members by using an exploratory, qualitative research design and a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. Results: The findings stress the relevance of psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of food-related well-being beyond the nutritional characteristics of food in CSA. Conclusion: The role of sustainable agriculture in contributing to food-related well-being becomes particularly evident based on consumers’ experiences. These results are important in convincing people that their food-related experiences belong to their perceived well-being as well as stimulating people to elevate their multidimensional expectations in relation to food.

scholarly journals EcoHealth and the Determinants of Health: Perspectives of a Small Subset of Canadian Academics in the EcoHealth Community

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 1688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aryn Lisitza ◽  
Gregor Wolbring
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
Health And Well Being

EcoHealth is an emerging field that examines the complex relationships among humans, animals, and the environment, and how these relationships affect the health of each of these domains. The different types of determinants of health greatly influence human health and well-being. Therefore, EcoHealth’s ability to improve human, animal, and environmental health and well-being is, in part, influenced by its ability to acknowledge and integrate the determinants of health. However, our previous research demonstrates that the academic EcoHealth literature had a low, uneven engagement with the determinants of health. Accordingly, to make sense of this gap, our research aim is to better understand the views of a small subset of the Canadian EcoHealth community about EcoHealth and the determinants of health relative to EcoHealth. We used a qualitative research design involving seven semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis. Our findings suggest a tension across themes and a lack of conceptual engagement with the determinants of health. As we consider a future with rapid, unsustainable changes, we expect the identification and integration of the different types of determinants of health within EcoHealth to be imperative for EcoHealth to attain its goal of improving the health and well-being of humans, animals, and the environment.

Team Managers in Local Social Service Departments in Israel as Bottom-Up Social Policy-Makers

2021 ◽  
pp. 324-345
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Psychosocial Services ◽  
Service Departments ◽  
New Policies

Following on Felice Perlmutter's work on the managerial role of social workers in social services, this article contributes to the still limited knowledge on the role of social workers in middle-management positions in formulating new policies `on the ground`. The study expands knowledge about policies determined by team managers in local social service departments in Israel. It occurs in the nexus between street-level bureaucracy, professionalism and managerial positions. Semi-structured interviews with 28 team managers revealed that they formulated `new` policies with regard to the provision of psychosocial services and material assistance (who gets what, when and how). This occurs when they resist official policy, when it is vague or non-existent. Most of their policy decisions are not documented and draw upon consultations with colleagues and superiors though not with clients. The team managers perceive these policies as a means for achieving balance between clients' well-being and budgetary constraints. Yet their decisions lack transparency, are decided upon without public discourse and may lead to greater inequity between clients

scholarly journals The Impact of the Sars Cov-2 Pandemic on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Seniors in Social Care Facilities

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-110
Author(s):  
Z. Budayova ◽  
L. Ludvigh Cintulova
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Open Coding ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

The research study analyses the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and identifies changes in the life satisfaction of seniors in social services facilities. The research sample consisted of 79 seniors in social services facilities, the sample consisted of ten participants, data collection took place in the period from November 2020 to April 2021, where the method of qualitative research was used in empirical research, through semi-structured interviews to determine the impact of Covid-19 on We collected the data collected by open coding and pointed to those dimensions of the lives of seniors that were most marked by pandemic measures against the spread of Covid-19.

The growing environment on Chinese adolescents' non-suicidal self-injury: a parents-reported qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Fu ◽  
Jiaxin Yang ◽  
Xiaoli Liao ◽  
Jingjing Lin ◽  
Yao Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parenting Style ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Chinese Adolescents ◽  
Behavioral Factors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Negative Interaction ◽  
Family Function ◽  
Self Injury ◽  
Growing Environment

Abstract Background: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent in adolescents and brings a series of serious consequences to their well-being. Previous studies indicated that the growing environment has a significant impact on adolescents with NSSI, which is little known about the Chinese adolescents. The study aims to investigate the growing environment of Chinese adolescents with NSSI and explore the target of intervention in the growing environment of adolescents with NSSI. Methods: The participants are parents of adolescents with NSSI who responded to a study advert, which was distributed in the psychological ward in China. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and their responses were analyzed by the thematic analysis. Results: 20 participants (16 were mothers, and 4 were fathers) completed the interview. Four themes were identified: Parenting style, Family function, Peer interaction, and Psycho-behavioral factors as well as 14 subthemes. Conclusion: Parents-report demonstrated a series of problems, consisting of Inappropriate parenting style, invalid family function, negative interaction of peer and problematic behavioral factors, etc. This highlight increasing awareness was needed to seek some intervention in the aspects of a growing environment for them.

‘Physical appearance and well-being in adults with incurable cancer: a thematic analysis’

2020 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002632
Author(s):  
Philippa Tollow ◽  
Jane Ogden ◽  
Candida S McCabe ◽  
Diana Harcourt
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Incurable Cancer ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Appearance Changes

ObjectivesExisting research has established the importance of appearance concerns for individuals with cancer and identified appearance as an important factor in dying with dignity. No research, however, has explored in depth the role of appearance in the experiences of individuals who have incurable cancer. This research aims to explore patients’ experiences and perspectives in relation to the role of appearance issues in adults with incurable cancer.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 adults with incurable cancer (20 women, 4 men; mean age 54.5, SD 11.32).ResultsThematic analysis generated three themes: ‘Identity: Embodying Cancer’, ‘Communication: Wearing your illness’ and ‘Support: Holistic Care’. Appearance was felt to be an important element of identity, which was often dominated by cancer, leading to feelings of separation from the participant’s previous self. Appearance changes also influenced the way in which individuals communicated with their external world, forcing discussion of their diagnosis, and increasing focus on their cancer, with participants having to manage the emotional impact of this on loved ones, as well as the impact on their legacy. Finally, participants highlighted the positive impact of appearance-related support in their well-being and identified peer connections and refocusing on the self as key elements of such support.ConclusionsAppearance changes play an important role in the experiences of individuals with incurable cancer with regards to both identity and communication and challenged participants’ ability to maintain normalcy. Further psychosocial support relating to appearance concerns was considered necessary to promote dignity and provide truly holistic patient care.

Symptom monitoring and the uncertain threat of disease recurrence: A deductive thematic analysis with adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (31_suppl) ◽  
pp. 147-147
Author(s):  
Lauren C Heathcote ◽  
Nele Loecher ◽  
Sheri L. Spunt ◽  
Pamela Simon ◽  
Gary Dahl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Cancer Survival ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
The Body ◽  
Adolescent And Young Adult ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cancer Symptoms ◽  
Symptom Monitoring ◽  
Bodily Sensations

147 Background: Symptom monitoring plays an important role in both the physical and psychological challenges of surviving cancer. Anecdotally, cancer survival is characterized by uncertainty, symptom-related fear, and the interpretation of normal bodily sensations as symptomatic of cancer recurrence. This fear may lead to over-vigilance of benign bodily sensations, increasing anxiety and decreasing quality of life. Yet, there are few studies investigating how cancer survivors interpret and make sense of post-cancer symptoms. These studies are needed to guide considerations for clinical practice and the development of supportive interventions. Methods: We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 AYA cancer survivors about how they interpret, manage, and respond to physical symptoms during survivorship. Participants were 15-25 years old. The sample was diverse in terms of disease history, ethnicity (8 Hispanic), and gender (9 females, 1 nonbinary). We conducted thematic analysis using a deductive coding scheme that was developed using our Cancer Threat Interpretation (CTI) theoretical model of cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes in post-cancer symptom perception. Results: AYA cancer survivors reported experiencing anxiety in the face of common physical sensations. These sensations were often interpreted as potential signs of recurrence or as late effects of treatment. Survivors most commonly reported worries about pain and fatigue, but also other sensations such as breathlessness. We coded participant transcripts into the following themes: biased attending towards symptoms, biased interpretations of symptoms as threatening, fear and worry about symptoms, and behavioral response to symptoms. In addition, we generated a new theme that was not previously captured in the CTI model: trust in the body. Conclusions: Knowing how to appraise and respond to symptoms such as pain is a challenge for AYA cancer survivors. This rich qualitative data provides support for the CTI model and suggests future directions. The results of this study can inform how clinicians talk to their patients about symptom monitoring after treatment ends.

“We’re giving them the tools.” A qualitative study of nursing students working with Recovery College trainers to support student wellbeing

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Oates ◽  
Rasiha Hassan ◽  
Sam Coster
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Nursing Faculty ◽  
Student Nurses ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Peer Facilitators

Purpose This paper aims to present a thematic analysis of student nurses’ experiences of an innovative collaboration between a mental health Recovery College and a nursing faculty, where Recovery College trainers’ expertise in co-production and peer facilitation were foregrounded. The aim of this study is to understand how nursing students experienced being peer facilitators of well-being workshops for fellow students following training with Recovery College trainers. Design/methodology/approach Thematic analysis of qualitative data from eight semi-structured interviews and a focus group with 15 participants. Findings The overarching theme that emerged was “The process of being a student Peer Facilitator”. Six themes emerged from the data: “What we brought”; “Conceptualisation”; “Adaptation”; “we’re giving them the tools”; “What we gained”; and “Development”. Practical implications Mental health nurse educators could forge collaborative relationships with Recovery College colleagues with a broader remit than service users’ “lived experience” of mental distress. Student nurses should be given opportunities to be peer facilitators and draw on their lived experience as student nurses as means of addressing their and their peers’ mental health. Originality/value Original findings were that the student experience of being a peer facilitator was different to their other experiences in education and clinical practice. They drew on their lived experience throughout and found that they learned skills to address their well-being through supporting other students to improve theirs.

scholarly journals Caregiver perspectives on the impact of uncertainty on the everyday lives of autistic children and their families

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110337
Author(s):  
Jane Goodwin ◽  
Priyanka Rob ◽  
Mark Freeston ◽  
Deborah Garland ◽  
Victoria Grahame ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Anxiety Reduction ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
The Impact

Approximately 50% of autistic children experience high anxiety. Intolerance of uncertainty (tendency to react negatively to uncertain situations) is a key mechanism in the development and maintenance of anxiety. This study aimed to provide a descriptive, thematic analysis of the impact on uncertainty on the daily lives of autistic children and their families. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents and caregivers of 53 autistic children (including 3 dyads) aged 6–16 years to elicit examples of uncertain situations that the children found challenging and to explore the impact of these situations on family life. Thematic analysis revealed five overarching themes: child’s reactions to uncertainty, trying to reduce uncertainty, the impact of difficulties with uncertainty, the impact of uncertainty on parenting and the impact on parents. These findings provide a crucial understanding into the range of uncertain situations autistic children with anxiety experience. Anxiety-reduction approaches based on increasing tolerance to everyday uncertain situations could help improve well-being, quality of life and participation for autistic children and their families. Lay abstract Anxiety is common in autistic children. Research shows that this may be related to intolerance of uncertainty, which is a tendency to react negatively to uncertain situations. Understanding when, why and how autistic children respond to uncertainty is important in the development of anxiety programmes. We asked 53 (including 3 dyads) parents of autistic children about the types of uncertain situations that cause difficulties for their child and how uncertainty impacts on daily life for them and their families. We found that uncertain situations made autistic children and their families feel sad, worried, frustrated and angry through the themes: child’s reactions to uncertainty, trying to reduce uncertainty, the impact of difficulties with uncertainty, the impact of uncertainty on parenting and the impact on parents. There are lots of situations that are anxiety provoking for autistic children because of uncertainty, such as school. Programmes to reduce anxiety and increase autistic children’s ability to cope with everyday uncertain situations could improve quality of life for autistic children and their families.

scholarly journals Exploring the Experiences and Well-Being of Australian Rio Olympians During the Post-Olympic Phase: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Bennie ◽  
Courtney C. Walton ◽  
Donna O’Connor ◽  
Lauren Fitzsimons ◽  
Thomas Hammond
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Return To Work ◽  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Elite Athlete ◽  
Olympic Games ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Olympic Athletes ◽  
The Olympic Games

Research about the Olympic Games has primarily focused on preparing athletes for competition. Less attention has been paid to the post-Olympic-phase (POP) and athlete well-being during this time. This study explored Australian Olympic athletes’ experiences following the conclusion of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, including the factors that may have contributed to or challenged their well-being during this time. Eighteen athletes participated in semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis revealed that when Olympic performance appraisal met prior expectations, when athletes planned for a return to work or study, and when support from a variety of sources was readily available, this positively influenced athletes’ well-being during the POP. When these factors were not in place, more challenging post-Games experiences were present, and well-being was compromised. The findings contribute to the broader literature on elite athlete well-being and at an applied level, may be used to inform targeted programs that focus on supporting athletes after an Olympic campaign.

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