Post-traumatic growth in thyroid cancer patients after surgery:A
qualitative study
Abstract:Objective: To gain insight into the real experiences of
post-traumatic growth of thyroid cancer patients and to provide
reference for optimizing postoperative care measures for thyroid cancer
patients.Design: a qualitative study.Methods: Using a
phenomenological study method in qualitative research, 15 patients
within six months after radical thyroid cancer surgery in our hospital
from March to April 2022 were interviewed in a semi-structured manner by
purposive sampling, and the data were analyzed using the Colaizzi 7-step
method.Results: Two first-level themes were summarized: (1)
post-traumatic growth facilitators for thyroid cancer patients
(cognitive processing, positive coping strategies, multiple sources of
support); and (2) post-traumatic growth experiences for thyroid cancer
patients (personal changes, improved relationships).Conclusion:Post-traumatic growth can occur in thyroid cancer patients after
surgery, and healthcare professionals should guide patients’ positive
psychology and tap into their inner positive potential in order to
promote healthy recovery and improve the quality of life of thyroid
cancer patients.
Key words :thyroid cancer;post-traumatic growth;qualitative
research;head and neck cancer;positive psychology
Key points :(1)As a physical and psychological disease, thyroid
cancer cannot develop without the influence of psychosocial
factors.Patients’ psychological status affects their disease prognosis
and recurrence.Therefore, the psychological needs of thyroid cancer
patients deserve external attention.
- Current research on surgical treatment of thyroid cancer tends to
focus on cancer eradication, potential complications, and negative
emotions, while positive growth seen in patients after surgery has
been rarely reported.
- With the dual trauma of disease and COVID-19, thyroid cancer patients
of all genders and ages exhibited varying degrees of post-traumatic
growth.
- Previously, health education was focused on patients after
hospitalization, but it is recommended that some level of knowledge be
provided when patients are diagnosed.
- It is recommended that health care professionals should pay timely
attention to the psychological condition of postoperative thyroid
cancer patients, and can guide patients to make positive psychological
adjustment and cope by identifying PTG-promoting factors.
Acknowledgments :Special thanks to the government for their
financial support.Thanks to each author for their contributions.Thank
you to the hospitalized patients.