Advisor
O'Halloran, Mary Séan
Committee Member
Rings, Jeffrey A.
Committee Member
Murdock, Jennifer L.
Department
Counseling Psychology
Institution
University of Northern Colorado
Type of Resources
Text
Place of Publication
Greeley (Colo.)
Publisher
University of Northern Colorado
Date Created
12-1-2014
Genre
Thesis
Extent
480 pages
Digital Origin
Born digital
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.
Degree type
PhD
Degree Name
Doctoral
Place
Khampramong Monastery (Thailand)
Language
English
Local Identifiers
Sukerb_unco_0161D_10369
Rights Statement
Copyright is held by author.
