The psychosocial concerns and needs of women recently diagnosed with breast cancer: a qualitative study of patient, nurse and volunteer perspectives

Objective  To qualitatively identify the concerns and needs of Australian women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Background  Breast cancer diagnosis can lead to impairment in multiple areas of psychosocial well‐being, including physical, social and emotional functioning. Research has therefore begun to focus on identifying and addressing survivors’ concerns and needs, with most research examining the time of treatment completion. However diagnosis and treatment are also key times of psychological need, and less is known about the psychosocial concerns and needs at these times. Research design  Seven focus group interviews were conducted examining three categories of participants: (i) patients diagnosed with early‐stage breast cancer within the past 12 months, (ii) oncology nurses, and (iii) volunteers who work with cancer patients. Sampling was discontinued when informational redundancy was achieved. Setting and participants  Thirty‐four participants took part in one of seven focus group meetings held in a hospital patient resource room. Results  A wide variety of psychosocial concerns and needs were discussed, and five specific areas of concern were identified: (i) coping with side‐effects; (ii) dealing with self‐concept change; (iii) stress and adjustment reactions; (iv) having to manage others’ unhelpful beliefs, expectations and emotions; and (v) issues with survival and growth. There was a large degree of consistency in the concerns and needs identified by the different group categories. Conclusion  In general, the concerns and needs expressed were consistent with survivorship issues previously identified in the literature; however, several new insights were obtained. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.