IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2021i1p185-d710654.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Caregivers of Individuals with Cancer in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study

Author

Listed:
  • Leila Abou Salha

    (Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-050, Brazil)

  • Julio Cesar Souza Silva

    (Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-050, Brazil)

  • Cleusa Alves Martins

    (Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-050, Brazil)

  • Cristiane Soares da Costa Araújo

    (Faculty of Nursing, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-080, Brazil)

  • Edinamar Aparecida Santos da Silva

    (Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-050, Brazil)

  • Angela Gilda Alves

    (Faculty of Nursing, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-080, Brazil)

  • Cácia Régia de Paula

    (Faculty of Nursing, Federal University of Jataí, Jatai 75801-615, Brazil)

  • Flavio Henrique Alves de Lima

    (Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-050, Brazil)

  • Veidma Siqueira de Moura

    (Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-050, Brazil)

  • José Elmo de Menezes

    (Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Goiás, Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-900, Brazil)

  • Virginia Visconde Brasil

    (Faculty of Nursing, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-080, Brazil)

  • Maria Alves Barbosa

    (Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-050, Brazil)

Abstract

Caregivers of individuals with cancer in the COVID-19 pandemic are faced with the demands of cancer and the health needs produced by it, along with their own health and self-care needs, and the uncertainties of expectations and risks. A qualitative analytical phenomenological study with caregivers of individuals with cancer registered at the state referral hospital supplying medications, who answered the sociodemographic assessment questionnaires and semi-structured questions about their feelings and perceptions in the COVID-19 pandemic. Bardin’s content analysis was used, with methodological quality assessed using SRQR Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research and the MAXQDA software. Most of the caregivers are women, married, Catholic, of low income and education, aged between 30 and 60 years, optimistic, comply with health guidelines regarding social distancing, use of masks, and routine hand hygiene, do not practice regular physical activities, mention concern for their own physical and financial survival, and that of their family. The main need identified in the affective sphere was to reframe contact with family members, seeking to strengthen the bonds of affection. The feeling of emotional vulnerability shows the importance of building effective public policies for social support consistent with the improvement of health care for this population.

Suggested Citation

  • Leila Abou Salha & Julio Cesar Souza Silva & Cleusa Alves Martins & Cristiane Soares da Costa Araújo & Edinamar Aparecida Santos da Silva & Angela Gilda Alves & Cácia Régia de Paula & Flavio Henrique , 2021. "Caregivers of Individuals with Cancer in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2021:i:1:p:185-:d:710654
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/185/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/185/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thomas, Carol & Morris, Sara M. & Harman, Juliet C., 2002. "Companions through cancer: : the care given by informal carers in cancer contexts," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 54(4), pages 529-544, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Emslie, Carol & Browne, Susan & MacLeod, Una & Rozmovits, Linda & Mitchell, Elizabeth & Ziebland, Sue, 2009. "'Getting through' not 'going under': A qualitative study of gender and spousal support after diagnosis with colorectal cancer," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1169-1175, March.
    2. Broom, Alex & Cavenagh, John, 2010. "Masculinity, moralities and being cared for: An exploration of experiences of living and dying in a hospice," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(5), pages 869-876, September.
    3. Zhang, Amy Y. & Zyzanski, Stephen J. & Siminoff, Laura A., 2010. "Differential patient-caregiver opinions of treatment and care for advanced lung cancer patients," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(8), pages 1155-1158, April.
    4. Daniel JW Jones & Kate Harvey & John P Harris & Laurie T Butler & Emma C Vaux, 2018. "Understanding the impact of haemodialysis on UK National Health Service patients’ well‐being: A qualitative investigation," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(1-2), pages 193-204, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2021:i:1:p:185-:d:710654. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.