Integrative Power of Illness: A Qualitative Study of Cancer Patients

Authors

Hossein Afrasiabi, Yazd UniversityFollow
Kasra Barzideh, Yazd UniversityFollow

Abstract

Our aim of this study was to explore the constructions of cancer patients about their everyday interactions using an interpretive-qualitative approach. We wanted to know how cancer patients understand their condition and the challenges they face in family and everyday relationships. Accordingly, a basic qualitative research method was used, and interviews were conducted with 21 cancer patients and their caregivers. Participants were selected through the purposeful sampling in Ahvaz City, Iran. The collected data were firstly transcribed and then analyzed by the grounded theory coding analysis. The findings were represented in five main categories included: pressure on relatives, the limitation of relationships, helpful awareness, personal development, and the integrative diagnosis. According to the findings, cancer patients experience many fluctuations to adapt to the disease. During the interaction with family members and other people, patient experiences change in the actions and daily routine while, at the individual and family level, they experienced the limitation of relationships.

Keywords

cancer, social relationships, interactions, patient's family, integration, qualitative method

Author Bio(s)

Hossein Afrasiabi, Ph.D and Associate professor of Sociology at Yazd University, Yazd, Iran. He teaching qualitative research methods at the department of Social sciences for 6 years.

Kasra Barzideh, MA in Sociology and wrote her thesis about cancer patient's every day interactions in qualitative method.

Publication Date

11-1-2021

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2021.4289

Recommended APA Citation

Afrasiabi, H., & Barzideh, K. (2021). Integrative Power of Illness: A Qualitative Study of Cancer Patients. The Qualitative Report, 26(11), 3362-3373. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.4289