Navigating Psychosocial Challenges During Cancer Hospitalization: A Qualitative Study

To explore the processes through which hospitalized patients with cancer experience and manage psychosocial needs to inform the development of Caritas-based care.

A grounded theory study guided by Corbin and Strauss was conducted across five oncology departments in Croatian public hospitals. Of 35 hospitalized patients with cancer participated in semi-structured interviews between February and June 2025. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding with theoretical sampling until saturation.

Analysis identified the core category Navigating Psychosocial Challenges During Cancer Hospitalization. The central phenomenon, experiencing multidimensional psychosocial challenges, encompassed emotional struggles (fear, uncertainty, balancing hope with reality), social difficulties (financial burden, long waiting lists, and inadequate care coordination), and physical concerns (fatigue, body image distress, and treatment side effects) as causal conditions. Navigation occurred within contextual conditions, including environmental factors (noise, privacy, and outdated infrastructure), professional support, and nurse-patient relationships emphasizing both technical competence and emotional presence, the availability of psychological support, and autonomy in care decisions, while influenced by family and peer support as intervening conditions. Patients employed diverse coping strategies, including acceptance, optimism, and maintaining meaningful routines, resulting in varying degrees of psychosocial adaptation, with disease recurrence posing particular challenges.

This study provides a conceptual framework for understanding how hospitalized patients with cancer navigate psychosocial challenges, offering a foundation for developing Caritas-based interventions that address holistic needs throughout the cancer trajectory.

Findings suggest important areas for clinical practice, including creating healing environments, developing nurse education programs integrating transpersonal caring competencies, establishing structured psychological support services, and strengthening patient participation in care decisions. System-level attention to infrastructure, psycho-oncology training, and adequate staffing may help create conditions for caring relationships and psychosocial well-being in oncology care.