title: How do tangible supports impact the breast cancer experience?
abstract: A woman's ability to navigate her new role as a breast cancer patient can be impacted by the support she has available to her during this time. One form of social support, tangible support, refers to providing support in a physical way that assists an individual in meeting their role responsibilities. The Roy Adaptation Model was used as a framework for conceptualizing the various roles in a woman's life that can be impacted by breast cancer and how the type and extent of tangible support impacts these roles. Through a qualitative open-ended interview 33 women with breast cancer described their experiences with their illness as it pertains to issues of role function and tangible supports.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Institute on Aging, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA. hirschk@nursing.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Karen B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Hirschman
authors.forename: Joretha N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bourjolly
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D004522:Educational Status; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016387:Women's Health