"Living with Loss": A qualitative exploration of existential fears among people with advanced lung cancer in online lung cancer support groups

Palliat Support Care. 2024 Feb 29:1-6. doi: 10.1017/S147895152400004X. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTOBJECTIVES: With targeted therapies, people are surviving longer with advanced lung cancer and engaging in online lung cancer support communities. While these groups provide a sense of community, witnessing the death of peers can lead to emotional distress. This qualitative study aims to (1) explore the experience of witnessing death in online cancer support groups; (2) identify factors that contribute to the emotional struggles of witnessing the death of peers; and (3) identify strategies/options for dealing with losses in the cancer community.METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of qualitative interviews exploring existential concerns with participants (n = 25) from oncogene-specific online lung cancer support groups. The principal investigator conducted study interviews between August 2018 and March 2019 where participants were asked about their cancer experiences and existential concerns. We used thematic analysis and NVIVO 11 software to examine and store the de-identified interview data.RESULTS: Participants indicated that they had often witnessed their peers die and felt the pain of the loss. Factors that played a part in their struggle with witnessing others' death included the closeness of the relationship with the person, the age of the person who died, seeing oneself in the experience of the other dying, disparities in care, and losing touch in the final...
Source: Palliative and Supportive Care - Category: Palliative Care Authors: Source Type: research