City Research Online

Abstract

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and for many, a diagnosis of cancer is accompanied by significant psychological distress (WHO, 2022). Psychological adjustment refers to the process individuals go through when confronting adversities and challenges that induce psychological distress (Dekker & de Groot, 2016). Within the field of psycho-oncology, a multidisciplinary area exploring the psychological, social, and behavioural aspects of cancer, psychological adjustment refers to a cancer patients’ ongoing process of adapting to the multifaceted emotional, physical and social challenges that arise from a cancer diagnosis (Dolbeault et al., 1999; Perna et al., 2024). Evidence suggests that oncology staff (e.g., Oncologists, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurses, Psychotherapists, Occupational Therapists, and others) play a crucial role in supporting patients through this difficult period and its challenges; however, limited research has examined how staff perceive this complex process. This study, therefore, aimed to explore how oncology staff understand their patients’ process of psychological adjustment following a cancer diagnosis. A qualitative research design was employed, involving focus groups and one-to-one interviews with twenty oncology staff participants. Participants were recruited from two hospital sites in Greater London (UK), and the data was analysed using a Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) approach (Charmaz, 2014). The study aimed to develop a theory of psychological adjustment based on emerging themes from the perspective of oncology staff regarding their patients’ experiences. The analysis identified four core themes associated with patients’ psychological adjustment after a cancer diagnosis: (1) The Emotional Journey; (2) The Behavioural Journey; (3) The Existential Journey; and (4) The Relational Journey, with the central idea being that staff understand their patients’ psychological adjustment as a journey towards Reconstructing Psychological Stability after a cancer diagnosis. The discussion examines the emerging theory and categories, which suggest that staff perceive the experience of psychological adjustment for their patients as one that is dynamic, fluid and personal, moving between categories. Staff believe the patient’s process of adjustment is highly individual and multifactorial (e.g., some patients journey through all four stages, while others progress through one or two). Implications for practice, interdisciplinary work, and policy are discussed in detail, and future directions are suggested, including how staff view psychological adjustment in different cancer groups, studies that are more inclusive of diversity, and research into how staff’s own experiences with psychological adjustment might influence their perception of their patients’ adjustment processes.

Publication Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0254 Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology (including Cancer) R Medicine > RT Nursing
Departments:	School of Health & Medical Sciences > Department of Psychology & Neuroscience School of Health & Medical Sciences > School of Health & Medical Sciences Doctoral Theses Doctoral Theses

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