がん患者の家族の思いに関する研究—診断期から治療期における家族の思いの構造化

Family Members' Perception of Cancer Patients: During Initial Treatment

要約

　本研究の目的は診断期から治療期におけるがん患者の思いを構造的に明らかにし，家族への援助のあり方を検討することである．対象は病院に入院して積極的治療を受けているがん患者の家族である．発病から治療終了までの家族の経験やそれに対する思いを面接により聴取し，その逐語録を分析素材とし，質的分析を行った．

　11名の家族は全員女性で，妻，母，嫁，義妹であった．分析により5つの家族の思いのカテゴリーが見いだされた．家族ががんに罹患した事への思い，治療の厳しさへの思い，家族への思い，医療の助けへの思い，将来の見通しへの思いであった．

　さらに得られたカテゴリーを構造化し，カテゴリーの内容をほりさげて検討した結果，家族は，自分自身を介護者とみなしているが，情緒的身体的に診断，治療から大きな影響を受けており，病気のごく初期における家族への積極的介入の必要性が示唆された．

Abstract

　The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine how family members caring for cancer patients perceive their experiences during initial treatment. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews were recorded on tape and transcribed. The data was analyzed according to inductive procedures based on the Grounded Theory Approach.

　The interviews targetted eleven family members caring for cancer patients. Of these, 8 were wives, one a mother, one daughter-in-law, and one a sister-in-law, i.e., all were females. Their perception of their experiences during initial treatment was classified into five cate-gories. "Reaction to cancer deagnosis" refers to haveing to face the fact that someone in the family has cancer, whether to inform the patient or not, and which of the flood of available cancer information to believe. "Severe reality of treatment" refers to facing the crisis and patient's distress, "Perceptual changes in the family" refers to perceptual changes in individual family members with regard to the cancer patient, the caregiver, and the family that support patient and caregiver, "Recognition of medical support" covers dependence on medical support, expectations, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and tolerance. "Future expectations" covers concern about the patient's life and the threat of recurrence. Finally the structural relationship between these categories was investigated.

　The findings indicated that family members of cancer patients feel a strong obligation to act as caregivers, which shoulders them with a heavy emotional and physical burden. This is where nurses can make a positive contribution by rendering the necessary support before and during initial treatment.