Young people's lived experiences of cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Young people's lived experiences of cancer: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
IRAS ID
222228
Contact name
Joshua Spooner
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Coventry University - Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Alignment and External Relations)
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
P50456, Project Reference Number Coventry University ; RRK6039, Project Reference University Hospitals Birmingham NHS trust ; 2016_FPU_006, Project Reference Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 22 days
Research summary
Research exploring young peoples’ lived experiences of cancer is scarce. Previous research has focused on the physical and psycho-social needs of young people, rather than exploring what life is like for them during this difficult time. Despite the emergence of qualitative enquiry, there is to our knowledge no published literature that has used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of young people in the United Kingdom. By adopting IPA rather than alternate qualitative methods, it is hoped that a more robust understanding of lived experiences will be generated. Furthermore, the nature in which IPA attempts to explore the thinking behind the lived experience is hoped to help provide a more detailed insight into identity formation amongst this varying population, something that has been neglected by previous research.
The study aims to address the following question, “What are the lived experiences of young people (aged 13 to 24) who have recently been given a diagnosis of cancer? In order to explore the development of a young person’s sense of self whilst being diagnosed and undergoing treatment for cancer, a secondary, theory driven question of “To what extent can social identity theory explain identify formation among TYA with cancer” will also be explored. A dual recruitment strategy has been selected meaning participants will be recruited from two local Birmingham Hospitals and via a online Charity forum though the use of purposive non-probability sampling. Young people aged between 13-24, who have received a diagnosis within the last 6-18 months, and are still undergoing treatment will be eligible to participate. Consent/Assent will be sought from the young people; Informed Consent via parents/guardian will also be sourced for under 16s. Semi-structured interviews between 40-60 minutes will be conducted with 6-8 young people. Data analysis will be informed by the principles of IPA.REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/WM/0235
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jul 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion