Self perceived burden in lung cancer patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
“A qualitative study of Self-perceived burden in Lung cancer patients at the end of life.”
IRAS ID
237024
Contact name
FIONA RAWLINSON
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 29 days
Research summary
Terminally ill patients uniquely express sadness and mourning about the losses others would endure in caring for them. Some patients on the receiving end of care (care recipients) develop a general sense that they have become ‘a burden to others’; a sense which is referred to as self-perceived burden (SPB). Worry, guilt and frustration in care recipients are defining characteristics of self-perceived burden. When patients perceive themselves as a burden, it can negatively affect their sense of self-worth.
Research states that the cause of SPB in patients is multidimensional and that SPB is connected to one's notion of dignity. Although its significance is beginning to emerge, there is little research on its explicit investigation from patients’ perspective at the end of life and their sense of self-worth. There is also little research investigating SPB in cancer patients at the end of life. Care giver burden has been extensively studied, but SPB of cancer patients on caregivers remains an understudied phenomenon.
Eligible lung cancer patients > 18 years old under St Raphael’s hospice community care will be invited to take part in the qualitative study using a questionnaire to identify those experiencing SPB. 6-8 patients will be recruited to a 30-60 minute interview with the researcher to expand on questionnaire-generated themes.
The study aims to investigate the experience of SPB in Lung cancer patients at the end of life, and to consider how this may be alleviated by exploring patients’ perception of the attitude of others and its contribution to their sense of self-worth. By asking a more open question, the investigation hopes to generate different outcomes to previous research by March 2019. It also hopes to provide further insights into understanding the phenomenon of SPB at the end of life and a platform to help improve end of life care.REC name
Wales REC 3
REC reference
19/WA/0009
Date of REC Opinion
30 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion