Daniela Lillekroken, Asta Bye, Liv Halvorsrud, Tonje Lundeby
{"title":"Living with brain metastasis - a qualitative study of patients' and family members' coping strategies.","authors":"Daniela Lillekroken, Asta Bye, Liv Halvorsrud, Tonje Lundeby","doi":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2555228","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Brain metastases are a serious complication of advanced cancer, often impairing patients' neurological function, quality of life, well-being, and prognosis. They also place a heavy emotional burden on family members. Coping strategies play a crucial role in reducing stress, supporting emotional well-being, and adapting to these challenges. Gaining insight into how patients and families cope is important for developing person- and family-centred interventions.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To explore similarities and differences in coping strategies between patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases and their family members from diagnosis to four months thereafter.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study has a qualitative, exploratory, longitudinal design. Between 2019 and 2021, 81 individual interviews were conducted with patients and their family members. Data were analysed using a secondary thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis revealed two main themes: Willpower - taking control of the mind, and Reframing life - here-and-now versus long-term plans. While patients exhibited willpower and took control over their minds, focusing on the present moment, family members emphasised reframing life by balancing the immediate needs and information seeking with long-term planning.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Patients and family members employ distinct coping strategies. Recognising these differences provides a foundation for tailored, person- and family-centred interventions aimed at improving quality of life.</p>","PeriodicalId":51468,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being","volume":"20 1","pages":"2555228"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12406310/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2025.2555228","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/9/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"NURSING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Brain metastases are a serious complication of advanced cancer, often impairing patients' neurological function, quality of life, well-being, and prognosis. They also place a heavy emotional burden on family members. Coping strategies play a crucial role in reducing stress, supporting emotional well-being, and adapting to these challenges. Gaining insight into how patients and families cope is important for developing person- and family-centred interventions.
Aim: To explore similarities and differences in coping strategies between patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases and their family members from diagnosis to four months thereafter.
Methods: The study has a qualitative, exploratory, longitudinal design. Between 2019 and 2021, 81 individual interviews were conducted with patients and their family members. Data were analysed using a secondary thematic analysis.
Results: The analysis revealed two main themes: Willpower - taking control of the mind, and Reframing life - here-and-now versus long-term plans. While patients exhibited willpower and took control over their minds, focusing on the present moment, family members emphasised reframing life by balancing the immediate needs and information seeking with long-term planning.
Conclusions: Patients and family members employ distinct coping strategies. Recognising these differences provides a foundation for tailored, person- and family-centred interventions aimed at improving quality of life.
期刊介绍：
International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being acknowledges the international and interdisciplinary nature of health-related issues. It intends to provide a meeting-point for studies using rigorous qualitative methodology of significance for issues related to human health and well-being. The aim of the International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being is to support and to shape the emerging field of qualitative studies and to encourage a better understanding of all aspects of human health and well-being.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
