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Homeworld/Alienworld: a qualitative study about existential experiences after cancer treatment
Venke Ueland1, Elin Dysvik1, Kristine Rørtveit1,2
1Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway.
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
|August 19, 2020
Summary
Cancer survivors face existential challenges, feeling alone and not themselves. Healthcare must support their transition from an "alienworld" back to their "homeworld" of lived experiences.
Area of Science:
- Phenomenology
- Existential Psychology
- Cancer Survivorship Research
Background:
- Cancer survivors commonly experience profound vulnerability and existential distress.
- Current biomedical healthcare models often fall short in addressing these holistic, individual needs.
- Existential challenges require a more personalized and comprehensive approach to care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived, existential experiences of individuals following cancer treatment.
- To gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by cancer survivors.
- To identify key themes in the post-treatment existential journey.
Main Methods:
- Employed an exploratory phenomenological-hermeneutical research design.
- Conducted in-depth interviews with 21 purposively sampled cancer survivors.
- Data collected from individuals recruited through a dedicated cancer organization.
Main Results:
- Identified three dominant themes: experiencing unfamiliar tiredness, feeling not fully oneself, and a sense of profound aloneness.
- Survivors described a disorienting transition, feeling between their old life and a new, unfamiliar reality.
- These experiences highlight significant existential suffering post-cancer treatment.
Conclusions:
- Existential suffering post-cancer involves navigating a transition between a past 'homeworld' and a new 'alienworld'.
- A supported transformational process is crucial for survivors to reintegrate into their lives.
- Healthcare systems must actively facilitate this journey, enabling survivors to share their unique narratives.
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