Dunne, Simon and Coffey, Laura and Sharp, Linda and Desmond, Deirdre and Gooberman-Hill, Rachael and O'Sullivan, Eleanor and Timmons, Aileen Mary and Keogh, Ivan and Timon, Conrad and Gallagher, Pamela (2019) Integrating self-management into daily life following primary treatment: head and neck cancer survivors' perspectives. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 13. pp. 43-55. ISSN 1932-2267

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Abstract

Background: Self-management may help cancer survivors to better deal with challenges to their physical, functional, social and psychological well-being presented by cancer and its treatment. Nonetheless, little is known about how people integrate cancer self-management practices into their daily lives. The aim of this study was to describe and characterise the processes through which head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors attempt to integrate self-management into their daily lives following primary treatment. Methods: Using a purposeful critical case sampling method, 27 HNC survivors were identified through four designated cancer centres in Ireland and participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Six themes describing HNC survivors’ attempts to integrate self-management into their lives following treatment were identified: grappling with having to self-manage, trying out self-management strategies, becoming an expert self-manager, struggling to integrate self-management strategies into daily life, avoiding recommended self-management and interpreting self-management. Conclusions: This is the first study to describe HNC survivors’ attempts to integrate self-management into their daily lives following primary treatment. The findings indicate that HNC survivors exhibit highly individualised approaches to self-management integration and abandon self-management strategies that fail to meet their own specific needs.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Cite as: Dunne, S., Coffey, L., Sharp, L. et al. Integrating self-management into daily life following primary treatment: head and neck cancer survivors’ perspectives. J Cancer Surviv 13, 43–55 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-018-0726-4
Keywords:	Integrating; self-management; primary treatment; head cancer; neck cancer; survivors'perspectives;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology
Item ID:	13567
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-018-0726-4
Depositing User:	Laura Coffey
Date Deposited:	16 Nov 2020 16:38
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Cancer Survivorship
Publisher:	Springer US
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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