The existential plight of cancer: Meaning making as a concrete approach to the intangible search for meaning

Supportive Care in Cancer

Volumn 16, Issue 7, 2008, Pages 779-785

  Lee, Virginia ^a,b,c  

^a MCGILL UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTRE   (Canada)

^b MCGILL UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

^c MONTREAL GENERAL HOSPITAL   (Canada)

Author keywords

Cancer; Existential plight; Meaning making coping; Psychological adjustment

Indexed keywords

CANCER DIAGNOSIS; CANCER PATIENT; DISTRESS SYNDROME; DOCTOR PATIENT RELATION; EXISTENTIALISM; HUMAN; MEANING MAKING INTERVENTION; MOTIVATION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PSYCHOLOGICAL BALANCE; PSYCHOTHERAPY; QUALITY OF LIFE; REVIEW; SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY; TUMOR;

ADAPTATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL; EMOTIONS; ETHICS, MEDICAL; EXISTENTIALISM; HUMANS; NEOPLASMS; STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL;

EID: 49949152035     PISSN: 09414355     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s00520-007-0396-7     Document Type: Review

References (64)

1. Andersen BL (1992) Psychological interventions for cancer patients to enhance the quality of life. J Consult Clin Psychol 60:552-568
2. Arndt J, Greenberg J, Simon L, Pyszczynski T, Solomon S (1998) Terror management and self-awareness: evidence that mortality salience provokes avoidance of the self-focused state. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 11:1216-1227
3. Baider L, de Nour AK (1986) The meaning of a disease: an exploratory study of Moslem Arab women after a mastectomy. J Psychosoc Oncol 4(4):1-13
4. Blinderman CD, Cherny NI (2005) Existential issues do not necessarily result in existential suffering: lessons from cancer patients in Israel. Palliat Med 19:371-380
5. Bolmsjo I (2000) Existential issues in palliative care-interviews with cancer patients. J Palliat Care 16(2):20-24
6. Breitbart W, Gibson C, Poppito SR, Berg A (2004) Psychotherapeutic interventions at the end of life: a focus on meaning and spirituality. Can J Psychiatry 49(6):366-372
7. Bridges W (1980) Transitions: making sense of life's changes. Addison-Wesley, New York
8. Chiu L (2000) Transcending breast cancer, transcending death: a Taiwanese population. Nurs Sci Q 13(1):64-72
9. Chochinov HM, Hack T, Hassard T, Kristjanson LJ, McClement S, Harlos M (2005) Dignity therapy: a novel psychotherapeutic intervention for patients near the end of life. J Clin Oncol 23(24):5520-5525
10. Classen C, Butler L, Koopman C, Miller E, DiMiceli S, Gieses-Davis J, Fobair P, Carlson RW, Kraemer HC, Spiegel D (2001) Supportive-expressive group therapy and distress in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Arch Gen Psychiatry 58:494-501
11. Coward DD (1998) Facilitation of self-transcendence in a breast cancer support group. Oncol Nurs Forum 25:78-84
12. Coward DD (2003) Facilitation of self-transcendence in a breast cancer support group: II. Oncol Nurs Forum 30:291-300
13. Cole B, Pargament K (1999) Re-creating your life: a spiritual/ psychotherapeutic intervention for people diagnosed with cancer. Psychooncology 8:395-407
14. Creamer M, Burgess P, Pattison P (1992) Reaction to trauma: a cognitive processing model. J Abnorm Psychol 101(3):452-459
15. De Vries MJ, Schilder JN, Mulder CL, Vranken AM, Remie ME, Garssen B (1997) Phase II study of psychotherapeutic intervention in advanced cancer. Psychooncology 6:129-137
16. Dirksen SR (1995) Search for meaning in long-term cancer survivors. J Adv Nurs 21:628-633
17. Devine D, Parker PA, Fouladi RT, Cohen L (2003) The association between social support, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, and adjustment following an experimental cancer treatment. Psychooncology 12:453-462
18. Devine EC, Westlake SK (1995) The effects of psychoeducational care provided to adults with cancer: meta-analysis of 116 studies. Oncol Nurs Forum 22:1369-1381
19. Epping-Jordan JE, Compas BE, Osowiecki DA, Oppedisano G, Gerhadt C, Primo K, Krag DN (1999) Psychological adjustment in breast cancer: processes of emotional distress. Health Psychol 18:315-326
20. Ersek M, Ferrell BR (1994) Providing relief from cancer pain by assisting in the search for meaning. J Palliat Care 10:15-22
21. Fawzy F, Fawzy N, Arndt L, Pasnau RO (1995) Critical review of psychosocial interventions in cancer care. Arch Gen Psychiatry 52:100-113
22. Folkman S (1997) Positive psychological states and coping with severe stress. Soc Sci Med 45:1207-1221
23. Folkman S, Greer S (2000) Promoting psychological well-being in the face of serious illness: when theory, research and practice inform each other. Psychooncology 9:11-19
24. Frankl V (1959) Man's search for meaning, 4th edn. Beacon, Boston
25. Gotay CC (1985) Why me? Attributions and adjustment by cancer patients and their mates at two stages in the disease process. Soc Sci Med 20:825-831
26. Gottlieb LN, Gottlieb B (2007) The developmental/health framework within the McGill Model of Nursing. ANS Adv Nurs Sci 30(1):43-57
27. Gottlieb LN, Rowat K (1987) The McGill Model of Nursing: a practice-derived model. ANS Adv Nurs Sci 9(4):51-61
28. Greenstein M, Breitbart W (2000) Cancer and the experience of meaning: a group psychotherapy program for people with cancer. Am J Psychother 54:486-500
29. Greer S, Moorey S, Baruch J, Watson M, Robertson BM, Mason A, Rowden L, Law MG, Bliss JM (1992) Adjuvant psychological therapy for patients with cancer: a prospective randomized trial. Br Med J 304:675-680
30. Griffiths C, Norton L, Wagstaff G, Brunas-Wagstaff J (2002) Existential concerns in late stage cancer. Eur J Oncol Nurs 6(4):243-246
31. Halstead MT, Hull M (2001) Struggling with paradoxes: the process of spiritual development in women with cancer. Oncol Nurs Forum 28(10):1534-1544
32. Holland JC, Rowland JM (1989) Handbook of psychooncology: psychological care of the patient with cancer. Oxford University Press, New York
33. Holland JC (2001) The human side of cancer. Quill, New York
34. Horowitz MJ (1992) Stress response syndromes. Jason Aronson, New Jersey
35. Ishiyama FI (1990) Meaningful life therapy: use of Morita therapy principles in treating patient with cancer and intractable diseases. Int Bull of Morita Ther 3(2):77-84
36. Janoff-Bulman R (1989) Assumptive worlds and the stress of traumatic events: applications of the schema construct. Soc Cogn 7(2):113-136
37. Jensen KP, Back-Pettersson S, Segesten K (2000) The meaning of "not giving in": lived experiences among women with breast cancer. Cancer Nurs 23(1):6-11
38. Kissane DW (2000) Psychospiritual and existential distress: the challenge for palliative care. Aust Fam Physician 29:1022-1025
39. Kissane DW, Bloch S, Miach P, Smith GC, Seddon A, Keks N (1997) Cognitive-existential group therapy for patients with primary breast cancer-echniques and themes. Psychooncology 6:25-33
40. Kissane DW, Bloch S, Smith GC, Miach P, Clarke DM, Ikin J, Love A, Ranieri N, McKenzie D (2003) Cognitive-existential group psychotherapy for women with primary breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Psychooncology 12:532-546
41. Lam WWT, Fielding R (2003) The evolving experience of illness for Chinese women with breast cancer: a qualitative study. Psychooncology 12:127-140
42. Landmark BT, Strandmark M, Wahl AK (2001) Living with newly diagnosed breast cancer-the meaning of existential issues: a qualitative study of 10 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer, based on grounded theory. Cancer Nurs 24(3):220-226
43. Laubmeier KK, Zakowski SG (2004) The role of objective versus perceived life threat in the psychological adjustment to cancer. Psychol Health 19(4):425-437
44. Lee V, Cohen SR, Edgar L, Laizner AM, Gagnon AJ (2004) Clarifying "meaning" in the context of cancer research: a systematic literature review. Palliat Support Care 2:291-303
45. Lee V, Cohen SR, Edgar L, Laizner AM, Gagnon AJ (2006) Meaning-making and psychological adjustment to cancer: development of an intervention and pilot results. Oncol Nurs Forum 33(2):291-302
46. Lee V, Cohen SR, Edgar L, Laizner AM, Gagnon AJ (2006) Meaning-making intervention during breast or colorectal cancer treatment improves self-esteem, optimism, and self-efficacy. Soc Sci Med 62:3133-3145
47. Linn MW, Linn BS, Harris R (1982) Effects of counseling for late stage cancer patients. Cancer 49:1048-1055
48. Little M, Sayers EJ (2004) While there's life... hope and experience of cancer. Soc Sci Med 59:1320-1337
49. McGrath P (2004) Reflections on serious illness as spiritual journey by survivors of haematological malignancies. Eur J Cancer Care 13:227-237
50. Meyer TJ, Mark MM (1995) Effects of psychosocial interventions with adult cancer patients: a meta-analysis of randomized experiments. Health Psychol 14:101-108
51. Morita T, Tsunoda J, Inoue S, Chihara S (2000) An exploratory factor analysis of existential suffering in Japanese terminally ill cancer patients. Psychooncolgoy 9:164-168
52. O'Connor AP, Wicker CA (1995) Clinical commentary: promoting meaning in the lives of cancer survivors. Semin Oncol Nurs 11:68-72
53. Park CL, Folkman S (1997) Meaning in the context of stress and coping. Review of General Psychology 1(2):115-144
54. Rittenberg CN (1995) Positive thinking: an unfair burden for cancer patients? Support Care Cancer 3:37-39
55. Sears SR, Stanton AL, Danoff-Burg S (2003) The yellow brick road and the emerald city: benefit finding, positive reappraisal coping, and post traumatic growth in women with early-stage breast cancer. Health Psychol 22(5):487-497
56. Schulz U, Mohamed NE (2004) Turning the tide: benefit finding after cancer surgery. Soc Sci Med 59:653-662
57. Taylor EJ (1995) Whys and wherefores: adult patient perspectives of the meaning of cancer. Semin Oncol Nurs 11(1):32-40
58. Taylor SE, Brown JD (1988) Illusion and well-being: a social psychological perspective on mental health. Psychol Bull 103(2):193-210
59. Taylor EJ (2000) Transformation of tragedy among women surviving breast cancer. Oncol Nurs Forum 27:781-788
60. Thompson SC, Janigian A (1988) Life schemes: a framework for understanding the search for meaning. J Soc Clin Psychol 7:260-280
61. Trijsburg RW, Van Knippenberg FCE, Rijpma SE (1992) Effects of psychological treatment on cancer patients: a critical review. Psychosom Med 54:489-517
62. Vickberg SMJ, Bovbjerg DH, DuHamel KN, Currie V, Redd WH (2000) Intrusive thoughts and psychological distress among breast cancer survivors: global meaning as a possible protective factor. Behav Med 25:152-160
63. Weisman AD, Worden JW (1976-77) The existential plight in cancer: significance of the first 100 days. Int J Psychiatry Med 7(1):1-15
64. Zabora JR, Blanchard CG, Smith ED, Roberts CS, Glajchen M, Sharp JW,Brintzenhofeszoc KM, Locher JW, Carr EW, Best-Castner S, Smith PM, Dozier-Hall D, Polinsky ML, Hedlund SC (1997) Prevalence of psychological distress among cancer patients across the continuum. J Psychosoc Oncol 15(2):73-87