Application of psychological nursing based on narrative therapy in patients with early gastric cancer undergoing radical operation

Abstract

BACKGROUND In the preoperative and perioperative period of radical gastrectomy, patients generally have negative psychological effects, which is not conducive to the treatment of the disease. Therefore, it is very important to strengthen psychological intervention and relieve anxiety during this period. In recent years, emerging narrative therapy can help cancer patients become more optimistic. AIM To explore the effect of psychological nursing based on narrative therapy on patients with early gastric cancer undergoing radical operation. METHODS From September 2018 to September 2020, 119 patients with early gastric cancer undergoing radical operation at our hospital were selected to carry out a prospective study, and they were divided into a control group (n = 59) and an observation group (n = 60) according to the order of filing. Both groups received conventional nursing care. The observation group additionally received psychological nursing based on narrative therapy. All patients were intervened for 4 wk. The changes in psychological distress (DMSM), disease uncertainty, cancer-related fatigue, self-care ability (ESCA), and pain (VAS) were observed in the two groups before and after nursing. RESULTS The psychological pain score of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The degree of disease uncertainty in the observation group after nursing was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). After nursing, the degree of cancer-related fatigue in each dimension of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05); the ESCA score of each dimension in the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The VAS score of pain in the observation group after nursing was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION As a post-modern psychotherapy, psychological nursing based on narrative therapy can give play to its own repair function, reduce the psychological burden, help gastric cancer patients establish the confidence to overcome the disease, reduce cancer-related fatigue and the degree of pain, and provide powerful conditions for disease control and prognosis.