Ethnographic Research on Adjustment of Mothers Caring for their Cancer Children in Korea

Understanding the Public's Emotions about Cancer: Analysis of Social Media Data

Cancer survivors suffer from emotional distress, which varies depending on several factors. However, existing emotion management programs are insufficient and do not take into consideration all of the factors. Social media provides a platform for understanding the emotions of the public. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the public's emotions about cancer and factors affecting emotions using social media data. We used 321,339 posts on cancer and emotions relating to cancer extracted from 22 social media channels between 1 January 2014, and 30 June 2017. The factors affecting emotions were analyzed using association rule mining and social network analysis. Hope/gratitude was the most frequently mentioned emotion group on social media followed by fear/anxiety/overwhelmed, sadness/depression/loneliness/guilt, and anger/denial. Acute survival stage, treatment method, and breast cancer were associated with hope/gratitude. Early stage, gastrointestinal problems, fatigue/pain/fever, and pancreatic cancer were associated with fear/anxiety/overwhelmed. Surgery, hair loss/skin problems, and fatigue/pain/fever were associated with sadness/depression/loneliness/guilt. Acute survival stage and hair loss/skin problems were associated with anger/denial. We found that emotions concerning cancer differed depending on the cancer type, cancer stage, survival stage, treatment, and symptoms. These findings could guide the development of tailored emotional management programs for cancer survivors that meet the public's needs more effectively.

Lived Experience of the Mother's Caring of Adult Children with Persistent Vegetative State

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to deepen understanding the nature of the care experience by the mothers with adult children in persistent vegetative state.

METHODS

Participants were 7 mothers caring for their adult children in persistent vegetative state. Data were collected individually through in-depth interviews on their lived experiences. Also texts were included as data from literary works, novels, movies, essays, and arts containing on patients with persistent vegetative state and their mothers. Data were analyzed by van Manen's phenomenological methodology.

RESULTS

The essential themes of caring experiences of the mothers were as follows. The theme in relation to lived time has shown as back to the past and caring experience related lived body has emerged as locked the body in children. The theme related lived space was getting into the swamp and the theme in lived others was derived as lonely struggle into.

CONCLUSION

The nature of mothers' caring experiences for adult children in persistent vegetative state is summarized as 'Do not off hand of hope in a locked state'. This study suggests long-term supports are necessary for mothers to care persistent vegetative state children.