South Korean Early Cancer Patients’ Perceptions of Difficulties in Fighting Their Disease: A Q Methodological Approach

Min-Jeung Shim and Song-Yi Lee ()
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Min-Jeung Shim: Counseling and Coaching, Graduate School, Dongguk University-Seoul, 30, Pildong-ro 1 gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 04620, Korea
Song-Yi Lee: Dharma College, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Korea

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-12

Abstract: This study applied the Q methodology to explore breast cancer patients’ perceived difficulties in their fight against the disease. We used literature analysis and in-depth interviews and selected 162 statements for the Q population. Then, we chose 40 universal and representative statements for the Q samples from the Q population. The P sample included 13 breast cancer patients in the early stage of the disease who participated in the Q sorting. We interviewed the study participants with high factor weights by type of P sample. The study’s results showed three types of breast cancer patients’ perceptions of difficulties in the initial fight against the disease. Type 1 showed ‘fear of the future’, Type 2 showed ‘helplessness against what cannot be controlled’, and Type 3 showed ‘frustration due to difficulties in role performance.’ Based on these results, we discuss the characteristics, meanings, and significance of individual types of breast cancer patients’ perceptions of the disease, including suggestions for follow-up studies.

Keywords: early breast cancer; breast cancer patients; difficulties; perception; Q methodology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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