First Advisor

O'Halloran, Mary Séan

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

12-1-2014

Department

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Applied Psychology and Counselor Education, APCE Student Work

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore in-depth experiences of cancer patients, family caregivers, and medical volunteers who engaged in the treatment and services provided at Khampramong Monastery, Thailand, particularly in the areas of resilience and coping. Participants included 21 individuals (eight cancer patients, eight family caregivers, and five medical volunteers). Data collection was conducted at Khampramong Monastery (Thailand) during the summer of 2013 including interviews, field observations, and artifact collections. Moustakas’s (1994) phenomenological method was used for data analysis. Bracketing (Creswell, 1998) was employed to set aside researcher bias. Standards of trustworthiness were employed throughout all phases of the research. The findings reflected the essence of the experiences, particularly coping strategies of patients that emphasized the role of acceptance and efforts to enhance meaning by helping other to relieve suffering. Resilience factors the participants developed included development of their spirituality and a renewed emphasis on positive thinking in the face of hardship. Implications for counseling psychology, mental health, and healthcare professions to further facilitate and promote resilience and coping in cancer patients and relevant units were discussed.

Abstract Format

html

Keywords

Medical personnel-caregiver relationships; Resilience (Personality trait); Cancer -- Treatment; Caregivers

Extent

480 pages

Local Identifiers

Sukerb_unco_0161D_10369

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by author.

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