QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF GROUP ENGAGEMENT IN OCCUPATIONS AMONG CANCER SURVIVORS

Abstract

Background As medical care for cancer has improved, increasing numbers of people are entering survivorship and face significant challenges to quality of life. Physical side effects are often accompanied by social and emotional dysfunction which reduce role performance. While most cancer survivorship models have a foundation in medical management and prevention of recurrence, there remains a need to address the social, emotional, and functional aspects of life. While occupational therapy has a role in traditional medical models, the full impact of occupational therapy’s role in survivorship has not been explored. This study aims to explore the lived experience of cancer survivors who participated in an occupation-based, community group intervention designed to facilitate social participation and increased engagement in leisure or personal wellness activities. Materials and Methods This phenomenological, qualitative study explored the experiences of three cancer survivors who participated in an eight-week group to explore new occupations related to leisure and personal wellness. Three rounds of coding following explicit methods to ensure trustworthiness, including creation of an audit trail. Results and Conclusion Three themes emerged, namely permission and opportunity to explore, cultivation of camaraderie, and reconsidering occupational identity. These mirrored the process of doing, being and becoming that explain how actions can be translated into evolution of a new self and shared community, that is currently often overlooked in cancer survivorship. Further exploration of the role of occupational therapy in community-based, interprofessional cancer survivorship is recommended.

Keywords

• occupational therapy
• cancer survivorship
• group rehabilitation