1. Barriers to seeking psychosocial support among adult patients with hematologic neoplasms: a qualitative study
- Author
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Mengting Xie, Chunfeng Wang, Yong Wu, Jingyi Chen, Ying Wang, Xiaoxia Wu, and Rong Hu
- Subjects
Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adult patients ,business.industry ,Communication ,Health Personnel ,Psychosocial Support Systems ,Professional support ,Hematologic Neoplasms ,Psychosocial support ,Oncology ,Family medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Thematic analysis ,Social avoidance ,business ,Psychosocial ,Qualitative Research ,Qualitative research - Abstract
PURPOSE This study aims to explore the barriers that adult patients with hematologic neoplasms experience when seeking psychosocial support. METHODS A descriptive qualitative approach was used to investigate the experiences of patients with hematologic neoplasms. Face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews were conducted between June and October 2020 with 17 patients diagnosed with hematologic neoplasms. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A thematic analysis was performed to identify the essential themes. RESULTS Seventeen patients aged 28-67 years completed the interviews. Two themes and six subthemes were identified that describe barriers to seeking psychosocial support. Internal barriers included limited communication, negative emotions, social avoidance, and focusing on treatment rather than psychosocial needs; external barriers included traditional cultural influences and lack of professional support. CONCLUSIONS Significant others were the key source for psychosocial support for patients with hematologic neoplasms. Tackling diverse barriers to accessing psychosocial support remains a challenge for these patients. Healthcare providers should continually assess and provide effective support.
- Published
- 2021
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