University of Twente Student Theses
Compassie bij kankerpatiënten : een kwalitatieve studie
Velmans, M.L. (2019) Compassie bij kankerpatiënten : een kwalitatieve studie.
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| Abstract: | There is a demand for interventions that help cancer patients deal effectively with the stress and psychosocial challenges that come with a cancer diagnosis. Compassion could play a part in these interventions. Multiple researches have been conducted researching self-compassion in cancer patients, however limited researches have been conducted about the other two types of compassion: receiving compassion and giving compassion. This research focusses on the impact of a cancer diagnosis on receiving compassion and giving compassion. Qualitative research has been conducted using compassion exercises and a semi-structured interview. Over a period of three months, the data of 10 participants has been collected and analysed. De data-analysis has been executed through coding text fragments divided over the two research questions: receiving compassion and giving compassion. Patients consider commitment as a part of compassion. They receive compassion from family, friends and even the medical staff. Receiving compassion from others results in positive emotions such as feeling supported and gratitude. However, some patients have trouble receiving compassion, because they feel that they don’t deserve it. A cancer diagnosis has an impact on receiving compassion, patients are more open to receive compassion and they experience that more compassion from others is given. Patients state that they find it easier to give compassion than to receive it. They consider compassion as a reciprocal process. Patients are prone to give compassion to fellow patients. In giving compassion patients also experience difficulties. Especially when they are low on energy, they have more trouble giving compassion to others. A cancer diagnosis causes patients to be less compassionate towards others because their priorities are different and they are focussed more on themselves. It can be concluded that a cancer diagnosis has an impact on compassion giving and receiving, with a decrease in giving compassion and an increasing in receiving compassion. A strength of this research is its relevance, research about compassion and cancer are limited. A limitation of this research is that the research materials were not specified for the research subject and data from only ten participants was included, therefor saturation was not achieved. Follow-up investigation could specify the research materials so that more information about the subject is gained. Also, an intervention could be developed focussing on reducing the difficulties cancer patients may experience in receiving and giving compassion. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/77869 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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