OVARIAN CANCER and US: regret

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Showing posts with label regret. Show all posts
Showing posts with label regret. Show all posts

Saturday, May 05, 2012

paywalled: Psychological Distress of the Bereaved Seeking Medical Counseling at a Cancer Center



 Blogger's Note/Opinion: the abstract is one of a few which is written in plain english and with an empathetic 'tone' both of which set it apart from many psycho-oncology papers

Psychological Distress of the Bereaved Seeking Medical Counseling at a Cancer Center

Abstract

Objective The death of a loved one is one of the most stressful events in life and is related to the physical and psychological wellbeing of the bereaved. Some bereaved individuals seek medical counseling to alleviate their distress. However, no studies have focused on the bereaved who have lost a loved one to cancer and have asked for medical help at a cancer center as a result. The aim of this study was to investigate the distress of the bereaved who sought consultation, as basic information for considering support.
Methods We conducted a survey of people consulting outpatient services for bereaved families between April 2007 and September 2009. Data were obtained from medical records at initial consultation and qualitatively analyzed by content analysis using all statements related to their distress.
Results Their statements were classified into 11 categories, which were further classified into six themes. The main categories of bereavement-related distress were as follows: (i) regret; (ii) anger; (iii) memories; (iv) loneliness; (v) anxiety; and (vi) hopelessness. ‘Regret’ was frequently recognized in their distress and it includes some points related to the cancer trajectory. 
Conclusions Psychological distresses of the bereaved who have lost a loved one and have asked for medical counseling are revealed. Their distresses are strongly related to the cancer trajectory of a family member. Some of these distresses are related to medical misunderstanding about the course of cancer. These findings might provide basic information for considering their appropriate treatment.