| Author: | Lee, Yuk Yee Karen |
| Title: | The landscape of one breast : empowering breast cancer survivors through developing a transdisciplinary intervention framework in a Jiangmen breast cancer hospital in China |
| Advisors: | Ku, Hok-bun (APSS) |
| Degree: | DSW |
| Year: | 2020 |
| Subject: | Breast -- Cancer -- Patients -- China Breast -- Cancer -- Psychological aspects Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of Applied Social Sciences |
| Pages: | 312 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Breast cancer is a major concern in women's health in Mainland China. According to the latest Chinese Cancer Registry Annual Report, breast cancer has become the most common cancer among Chinese women and ranked the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths (Zhang, Yang, Zhang, Xu, Sun, & Zhang, 2018). Literature demonstrates that women with breast cancer (WBC) need to pay much effort into resisting stigma and the impact of treatment side-effects; they suffer from overwhelming consequences due to bodily disfigurement and all these experiences will be unbeneficial for their mental and sexual health. However, related studies in this area are rare in China. In this study, the objectives are 1) To understand WBC's treatment experiences, resistance to problems, meanings of their symptoms. 2) What kinds of services or support should be contained in a transdisciplinary intervention framework for Chinese WBC through a lens that is sensitive to gender, societal, cultural and practical experience? In this study, the feminist participatory action research (FPAR) approach containing the four cyclical processes of action research was adopted. WBC's stories were collected through oral history, group materials such as art products, drawings, theme songs, letters, poetry, handicraft, storytelling and public speech content; research team members and peer counselors were involved in the development of the model. This study revealed that WBC face difficulties returning to the job market and discrimination, oppression and gender stereotypes are commonly found in the whole treatment process. WBC suffer from structural stigma, public stigma and self-stigma. Thus, more community action around anti-discrimination of breast cancer is so important for structural changes. The research findings revealed that forming a critical timeline for intervention is important, including stage 1: Stage of suspected breast cancer (SS), stage 2: Stage of diagnosis (SD), stage 3: Stage of treatment and prognosis (ST) and stage 4: Stage of rehabilitation and integration (SRI). Risk factors for coping with breast cancer are traumatizing treatment side effects, changes to body image, fear of being stigmatized both in social networks and returning to the job market and lack of family personal care during hospitalization. Protective factors for coping with breast cancer are the support of health professionals, spouses and peers with the same experience, enhancing coping strategies and reduction of symptom distress; all these are crucial to enhance resistance when fighting breast cancer. It was found that community education concerning anti-stigma of people with cancer or breast cancer is seriously deficient, feminist consciousness raising and cultural sensitivity training for helping professionals and peer counselors or the public is crucial; rights to grief and bereavement counseling for end-stage breast cancer patients and their children should be advocated. Benefit finding through mindfulness based-narrative therapy (MBNT) is useful for WBC to rebuild their self-respect and identity. Collaboration is essential between 1) Health and medical care, 2) Medical social work, 3) Peer counselor network, and the 4) self-help organization to form the transdisciplinary intervention framework (TIF) for quality care. These research findings foster the construction of an empowerment model and TIF for WBC; the final chapter highlights various implications for gender sensitive and health care practice. In conclusion, it is crucial for the Jiangmen Health Bureau to develop medical social services through a lens that is sensitive to gender, societal, cultural and practical experiences of breast cancer survivors and their families. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5578.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 2.52 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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