Psychosocial Experiences Of Adolescents Diagnosed With Cancer In Windhoek.

ABSTRACT

This research study aimed at exploring and describing psychosocial experiences of adolescents diagnosed with cancer. A cancer diagnosis is known to be a life-altering experience which disrupts normal development. Often, adolescents bring to the cancer experience a different dimension of psychosocial circumstances because of their developmental life stage.

This research study employed an exploratory qualitative research design to explore the psychosocial effects of a cancer diagnosis during adolescence. Nine adolescents with cancer were identified through purposive sampling. Adolescents were between the ages of 13 to 19 years, were undergoing cancer treatment and were not critically ill. A semi-structured interview guide was used. It consisted of socio-demographic questions, psychological, social and self-assessing questions. Tesch’s coding steps was used to analyze the data to identify and describe the themes and subthemes.

The phenomenological approach was used to describe the experiences of the adolescents living with cancer in Windhoek. The results show that participants reacted differently towards their diagnosis. Feelings of extreme sadness and relentless fear were observed. The adolescents also experienced good peer relations which allowed them to have good support and helped them with adjusting to the illness. Another theme that emerged was the perception of the adolescents on how they view themselves as well as dealing with a changing body image. The findings of this study may allow mental health professionals to create tailored interventions that cater for the needs of adolescents with cancer. Furthermore, this study may pave the way for health care providers to understand and equip adolescents with information regarding their developmental stage and health.