"Emerging From the "Ku

Fluctuating in Adjusting With Breast Cancer-A Post-Traumatic Growth Theory Situated Within Chinese Culture

Bibliographic Data

ID4645358
AuthorsJianxia Zhai (0000-0003-3322-1830, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, corresponding author), Jennifer M Weller-Newton, Jennifer Newton (0000-0002-0270-8497, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), Kaori Shimoinaba (0000-0001-7954-3945, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), Hong Chen (0000-0002-9771-6464, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China), Beverley Copnell (0000-0002-4276-5162, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)
Year2020
Volume30
Issue11
Pages1674-1683
Publication date2020-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Health Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1049732320930195
PMID32564672
OpenAlexW3036122437
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited33

This purpose of the study was to construct a model (theory) to understand Chinese women's adjustment process in living with breast cancer. A constructivist grounded theory method was adopted in this study. A total of 24 women were recruited through purposive and theoretical sampling. Semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews were undertaken in Chinese and transcribed. Initial coding, focused coding, and theoretical coding approaches were used to identify subcategories and categories, and to construct the emergent theory. The basic social process these women used to deal with the breast cancer diagnosis was identified as: Emerging from the 'ku': Fluctuating in adjusting with breast cancer. Four categories were revealed following analysis: confronting challenges, orienting to reality, accommodating the illness, and transforming their lives, which encapsulated the main cognitive and emotional processes in which Chinese women engaged in their adjustment to living with their illness. The core process was influenced by a variety of contextual influences, which were identified as personal factors, social-environmental factors, and some specific cultural factors which emphasized positive changes. Chinese cultural values such as "Wuwei" coping strategies, familial primacy, and Chinese self-disclosure contribute to Chinese women's adjustment processes and post-traumatic growth experiences. Hence, there is a need to consider Chinese cultural features, in designing culturally tailored supportive programs in multi-cultural clinical settings

Breast cancer · Cancer · Chinese culture · Cultural group selection · Ethnic group · Grounded theory · Nonprobability sampling · Personal construct theory · Population · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Theoretical sampling · Cancer survivorship and care · Clinical Psychology · Family Support in Illness · Medicine · Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues · Psychology · Social Psychology

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