Coping with stigma: the experiences of Chinese patients living with lung cancer

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Abstract

Purpose/objectives: To describe the experiences of stigma and coping strategies among patients with lung cancer in China. Research approach: Qualitative. Setting: The oncology department at Liaocheng Peoples Hospital. Participants: A purposive sample of 17 patients experiencing stigma related to lung cancer voluntarily participated in data collection. Methodologic approach: Individual, semistructured qualitative interviews were chosen. Participants completed about a 30-min focused interview. Exploratory qualitative approach guided data analysis. Findings: Three main thematic elements emerged from the interview data:(1) sources of stigma, such as smoking, decreased ability to work, difficulties caring for self and family, damage to self-image, and cough and expectoration; (2) experiences of stigma, including feelings of stigma, remorse, loss of dignity, uselessness, social isolation, perceived exclusion, rejection, and discrimination; and (3) coping strategies, such as concealing the fact of sickness, reducing social activities, seeking medical assistance, adhering to treatment, and disclosing dissatisfaction. Conclusions: Our results indicate the presence of perceived stigma among patients with lung cancer. Future work should address the stigma associated with lung cancer and its related factors. Interpretation: As point-of-care providers, staff nurses are well positioned to develop effective interventions to help patients deal with stigma and to accomplish the goal of providing holistic nursing care.

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Liu, H., Yang, Q., Narsavage, G. L., Yang, C., Chen, Y., Xu, G., & Wu, X. (2016). Coping with stigma: the experiences of Chinese patients living with lung cancer. SpringerPlus, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40064-016-3486-5

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