"It's All My Fault": A Qualitative Case Study of Self-Disgust in Women with Gynecological Malignancies

To explore the psychological experience of self-disgust among patients with gynecological malignancies, providing a basis for developing targeted psychological care plans.

Using purposive sampling, a descriptive qualitative study was conducted with 15 patients with gynecological malignancies admitted to the gynecology departments of two hospitals in Shandong Province, China, between May and August 2025. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Patients' psychological experiences of self-disgust can be categorized into four themes: impaired body image and functional loss (decompensated excretory functions, treatment-related physical image alterations); dual roots of negative self-perception (internalization of disease stigma, delayed medical care due to lack of health knowledge); Impaired psychological resilience under dual pressures (sexual function anxiety in intimate relationships, difficulties in family role transitions, experiences of social alienation); High levels of psychological distress caused by treatment side effects (loss of reproductive organs and fertility meaning, fear of disease progression and recurrence).

Gynecologic malignancies patients commonly experience multidimensional self-disgust, closely linked to body image, negative self-perception, social functioning, and psychological distress. Healthcare providers should address patients' negative self-perception through strategies including positive psychological interventions, stigma reduction, enhanced social support, and fertility counseling to improve psychological well-being and quality of life. Given the single-region sample and qualitative research design, large-scale multicenter longitudinal studies are warranted to explore how self-disgust evolves over time and across diverse cultural contexts.