Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2019.49.3.349

Experiences of Ego Integrity Recovery in Elderly Cancer Patients: Grounded Theory Approach  

Choi, Han-Gyo (College of Nursing, The Catholic University of Korea)
Yeom, Hye-Ah (College of Nursing, The Catholic University of Korea)
Publication Information
Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing / v.49, no.3, 2019 , pp. 349-360 More about this Journal
Abstract
Purpose: This study was conducted to derive a substantive theory on lived experiences of elderly cancer patients. Methods: The data were collected from February to March 2018 through in-depth personal interviews with 14 elderly cancer patients. The collected data were analyzed based on Corbin and Strauss's grounded theory. Results: The core category was "the journey to find balance in daily lives as a cancer patient by recovering disturbed ego integrity." The core phenomenon was "shattered by suffering from cancer," and the causal conditions were "physical change" and "limitations in daily life." The contextual conditions were "decreased self-esteem," "feelings of guilt toward the family," and the sense of "economic burden." The participants' action and interaction strategies were "maintaining or avoiding social relations," "seeking meaning of the illness," "falling into despair," and "strengthening the willingness to battle the cancer." The intervening conditions were "support from health care providers and family," "dissatisfaction with health care providers," "spiritual help from religion," and "the improvement or worsening of health conditions." The consequences were "having a new insight for life," "living positively along with cancer illness," and "the loss of willingness to live." A summary of the series of processes includes the "crisis stage," "reorganizing stage," and the "ego integration stage." Conclusion: This study explored the holistic process of ego integrity impairment and the recovery experience of elderly cancer patients. This study is expected to be used as a basis for the development of nursing interventions that can support patients when coping with all stages of their cancer illness trajectory.
Keywords
Aged; Neoplasms; Qualitative Research; Grounded Theory;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 1  (Citation Analysis)
연도 인용수 순위
1 Statistics Korea. Population projections and summary indicators by scenarios (Korea) [Internet]. Daejeon: Statistics Korea; c2018 [cited 2019 May 21]. Available from: http://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=101&tblId=DT_1BPA002&conn_path=I2.
2 Statistics Korea. Cancer incident cases and incidence rates by site (24 items), sex, age group [Internet]. Daejeon: Statistics Korea; c2018 [cited 2019 May 21]. Available from: http://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=117&tblId=DT_117N_A00023&conn_path=I2.
3 Statistics Korea. Relative survival rate for 5 years by 24 kinds of cancer, cancer occurrence time and gender [Internet]. Daejeon: Statistics Korea; c2018 [cited 2019 May 21]. Available from: http://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=117&tblId=DT_117N_A00021&conn_path=I2.
4 Larsson M, Hedelin B, Athlin E. Needing a hand to hold: Lived experiences during the trajectory of care for patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy. Cancer Nursing. 2007;30(4):324-334. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NCC.0000281722.56996.07   DOI
5 Mao JJ, Armstrong K, Bowman MA, Xie SX, Kadakia R, Farrar JT. Symptom burden among cancer survivors: Impact of age and comorbidity. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 2007;20(5):434-443. https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2007.05.060225   DOI
6 Fried LP, Tangen CM, Walston J, Newman AB, Hirsch C, Gottdiener J, et al. Frailty in older adults: Evidence for a phenotype. The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2001;56(3):M146-M157. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/56.3.m146   DOI
7 Thome B, Esbensen BA, Dykes AK, Hallberg IR. The meaning of having to live with cancer in old age. European Journal of Cancer Care. 2004;13(5):399-408. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2354.2004.00542.x   DOI
8 Kim HJ, Kim SJ, Kim JS, Lee SY, Yang YH. Attitude to death and life satisfaction between groups of elderly people with and without cancer. Asian Oncology Nursing. 2013;13(4):240-247. https://doi.org/10.5388/aon.2013.13.4.240   DOI
9 Boyle DM. Realities to guide novel and necessary nursing care in geriatric oncology. Cancer Nursing. 1994;17(2):125-136. https://doi.org/10.1097/00002820-199404000-00006   DOI
10 Coyle N. The hard work of living in the face of death. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2006;32(3):266-274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2006.04.003   DOI
11 Han NY, Yoon HJ, Park EW, Cheong YS, Yoo SM. Perception of a good death in the elderly. Journal of the Korean Academy of Family Medicine. 2002;23(6):769-777.
12 Lee HJ, Lim YO, Yoon H, Kim Y, Choi K. Post-surgery chemotherapy treatment experiences of older male patients with stomach cancer. Journal of the Korea Gerontological Society. 2014:34(3):495-521.
13 Sajjadi M, Rassouli M, Abbaszadeh A, Brant J, Majd HA. Lived experiences of "illness uncertainty" of Iranian cancer patients: A phenomenological hermeneutic study. Cancer Nursing. 2016;39(4):E1-E9. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0000000000000282   DOI
14 Corbin J, Strauss A. Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks (CA): Sage; 2015. p. 1-310.
15 Guba EG, Lincoln YS. Effective evaluation: Improving the usefulness of evaluation results through responsive and naturalistic approaches. San Francisco (CA): Jossey-Bass Publishers; 1981. p. 103-127.
16 Erikson EH, Erikson JM, Kivnick HQ. Vital involvement in old age. New York: W.W. Norton & Company; 1994. p. 1-352.
17 Kim HR. Quality of life and its correlates among older adults in one urban community in Korea: Mediating effects of ego integrity. Journal of the Korea Gerontological Society. 2012;32(1):223-236.
18 Can G, Demir M, Erol O, Aydiner A. A comparison of men and women's experiences of chemotherapy-induced alopecia. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2013;17(3):255-260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2012.06.003   DOI
19 Battle J. Relationship between self-esteem and depression. Psychological Reports. 1978;42(3):745-746. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1978.42.3.745   DOI
20 Hwang YY. A study on the relationship between depression, self-esteem, and ego-integrity among the aged women in an area. Journal of the Korean Data Analysis Society. 2009;11(4):1843-1854.
21 da Costa Vargens OM, Bertero CM. Living with breast cancer: Its effect on the life situation and the close relationship of women in Brazil. Cancer Nursing. 2007;30(6):471-478.   DOI
22 Faulkner KA, Cauley JA, Zmuda JM, Griffin JM, Nevitt MC. Is social integration associated with the risk of falling in older community-dwelling women? The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2003;58(10):M954-M959. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/58.10.M954   DOI
23 Yang JH. The actual experiences of the living world among cancer patients. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing. 2008;38(1):140-151. https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2008.38.1.140   DOI
24 Mistry R, Rosansky J, McGuire J, McDermott C, Jarvik L. Social isolation predicts re‐hospitalization in a group of older American veterans enrolled in the UPBEAT program. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 2001;16(10):950-959. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.447   DOI
25 Fratiglioni L, Paillard-Borg S, Winblad B. An active and socially integrated lifestyle in late life might protect against dementia. The Lancet Neurology. 2004;3(6):343-353. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(04)00767-7   DOI
26 Kim JG. The impact of family type on health behavior of elderly people. Journal of Welfare for the Aged Institute. 2011;51:35-55.
27 Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Layton JB. Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine. 2010;7(7):e1000316. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316   DOI
28 Lim Y, Zang DY, Choi DR, Kang SY, Park YS, Yoon H, et al. Doctors' ageism towards the elderly cancer patients: Focusing on disclosure of cancer diagnosis and explanation on treatment. Korean Journal of Health Promotion. 2016;16(2):101-110. https://doi.org/10.15384/kjhp.2016.16.2.101   DOI
29 Lee SM, Kim S, Lee HS. The process of medical decision-making for cancer patients. Korean Journal of Medical Ethics. 2009;12(1):1-14.   DOI
30 Kvale K. Do cancer patients always want to talk about difficult emotions? A qualitative study of cancer inpatients communication needs. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2007;11(4):320-327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2007.01.002   DOI