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Exploring the experiences of informal primary caregivers of women with advanced or terminal gynaecological cancers
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2023
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| _version_ | 1867614094143520768 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Odendaal, Chante |
| author2 | Roomaney, Rizwana |
| author_browse | Odendaal, Chante Roomaney, Rizwana |
| author_facet | Roomaney, Rizwana Odendaal, Chante |
| author_sort | Odendaal, Chante |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127325 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:33.531Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127325 Exploring the experiences of informal primary caregivers of women with advanced or terminal gynaecological cancers Odendaal, Chante Roomaney, Rizwana Simonds, Hannah Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Psychology. Generative organs, Female -- Cancer -- South Africa Terminal care -- South Africa Community health aides -- South Africa Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Gynaecological cancers are a serious health problem affecting women across the world. According to the recent global cancer statistics, more than 1.3 million women were diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer and 671 920 women died as a result of this disease. There are five main types namely cervical, ovarian, uterine, vulva and vaginal cancer. These cancers originate in the reproductive organs of women and may affect their health, selfesteem, body image and romantic relationships. Informal cancer caregivers play a crucial role in a patient’s illness trajectory because they provide the patient with physical, emotional, and financial support. Women with advanced or terminal gynaecological cancer particularly need support from their caregivers because they are at a delicate stage of their disease. Advanced or terminal cancer cannot be cured and thus, the challenges that caregivers experience may be unique because the possibility of death becomes greater. Yet, to my knowledge, there are no studies that have specifically explored the experiences of informal caregivers of women with advanced or terminal gynaecological cancer. For this reason, I have conducted this study. I conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 participants. I recorded all the interviews, and transcribed the interviews verbatim. Thereafter, I analysed the data thematically by using the principles outlined by Braun and Clarke. I identified five themes namely, 1) navigating a complicated relationship with the patient: a caregiver’s perspective, 2) the complexities associated with caregiving and the public healthcare system, 3) the effects of caregiving on the caregiver’s heath and well-being, 4) the support networks of informal cancer caregivers and 5) providing care in the context of a pandemic. The findings highlight the challenges and positive changes that the informal caregivers experienced within their relationship with the patient. In addition, the findings indicate the importance of communication between healthcare providers and informal caregivers and the need for caregiver visibility. Furthermore, the findings highlight the impact of caregiving on the physical and emotional well-being of these caregivers. Moreover, the findings highlight the supportive resources available to the caregivers. Lastly, the findings in this study present novel experiences regarding providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Ginekologiese kankers is ’n ernstige gesondheidsprobleem wat vroue internasionaal affekteer. Na aanleiding van onlangse globale statistiek is meer as 1, 3 miljoen vroue met ’n ginekologiese kanker gediagnoseer en 671 920 vroue het as gevolg van hierdie siekte gesterf. Daar is vyf hoofsoorte, naamlik servikale, eierstok-, baarmoeder-, vulva- en vaginale kanker. Dié kankers ontstaan in die reproduktiewe organe van vroue en mag hulle gesondheid, selfbeeld, liggaamsbeeld en romantiese verhoudings beïnvloed. Informele kankerversorgers speel ’n belangrike rol in ’n pasiënt se siekte-trajek want hulle verskaf aan die pasiënt fisiese, emosionele en finansiële ondersteuning. Vroue met gevorderde of terminale ginekologiese kanker het ondersteuning van veral hulle versorgers nodig want hulle is in ’n delikate fase van hulle siekte. Gevorderde of terminale kanker kan nie genees word nie en daarom mag die uitdagings wat die versorgers ervaar uniek wees aangesien die moontlikheid van afsterwe groter word. Nogtans, na my wete, is daar nie studies wat spesifiek die ervaring van informele versorgers van vroue met gevorderde of terminale ginekologiese kanker verken nie. Om hierdie rede het ek dié studie uitgevoer. Ek het semigestruktureerde onderhoude met 16 deelnemers gevoer. Ek het al die onderhoude opgeneem en het dit verbatim getranskribeer. Ek het daarna die data tematies ontleed deur die beginsels van Braun en Clarke te gebruik. Ek het vyf temas geïdentifiseer, naamlik 1) die navigering van die gekompliseerde verhouding met die pasiënt: ’n Versorger se perspektief, 2) die kompleksiteite wat verband hou met versorging en die openbare gesondheidstelsel, 3) die uitwerking van versorging op die versorger se gesondheid en welwees, 4) die ondersteuningsnetwerke van informele kankerversorgers en 5) die verskaffing van sorg in die konteks van ’n pandemie. Die bevindinge lig die uitdagings en positiewe verandering uit wat die informele versorgers in hulle verhouding met die pasiënt ervaar het. Die bevindinge het bykomend die behoefte aan versorger-sigbaarheid aangedui en die belangrikheid van kommunikasie met gesondheidsorgverskaffers. Verder het die deelnemersbeskrywings gesuggereer dat die verskaffing van sorg hulle fisiese en emosionele wel-wees negatief geraak het. Daarby is die belangrikheid van ondersteuning uitgelig. Laastens word nuwe ervaringe aangaande die verskaffing van sorg tydens die Covid-19-pandemie in die studie aangebied. Sleutelwoorde: informele versorgers, ginekologiese kanker, gevorderde kanker, terminale kanker, kankerversorgers Masters 2023-03-05T18:28:00Z 2023-05-18T07:16:11Z 2023-03-05T18:28:00Z 2023-05-18T07:16:11Z 2023-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127325 en_ZA en_ZA Stellenbosch University xii, 113 pages : illustrations. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Generative organs, Female -- Cancer -- South Africa Terminal care -- South Africa Community health aides -- South Africa Odendaal, Chante Exploring the experiences of informal primary caregivers of women with advanced or terminal gynaecological cancers |
| title | Exploring the experiences of informal primary caregivers of women with advanced or terminal gynaecological cancers |
| title_full | Exploring the experiences of informal primary caregivers of women with advanced or terminal gynaecological cancers |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the experiences of informal primary caregivers of women with advanced or terminal gynaecological cancers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the experiences of informal primary caregivers of women with advanced or terminal gynaecological cancers |
| title_short | Exploring the experiences of informal primary caregivers of women with advanced or terminal gynaecological cancers |
| title_sort | exploring the experiences of informal primary caregivers of women with advanced or terminal gynaecological cancers |
| topic | Generative organs, Female -- Cancer -- South Africa Terminal care -- South Africa Community health aides -- South Africa |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127325 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT odendaalchante exploringtheexperiencesofinformalprimarycaregiversofwomenwithadvancedorterminalgynaecologicalcancers |