title: Hope in patients with cancer transitioning to survivorship: the mid-life directions workshop as a supportive intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the Mid-Life Directions workshop as an intervention to support hope and quality of life in midlife cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Published articles and books.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Mid-Life Directions workshop assists survivors to integrate the cancer experience through conscious awareness and choice, and transition to survivorship with an increased level of adaptation. Quality of life and hope are enhanced through new information and skills allowing participants to direct their lives into a preferred future.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The midlife cancer survivor is challenged to face the fear of recurrence, death, and the crisis of meaning in a developmentally appropriate way. The task of midlife is to navigate the tension of generativity versus stagnation for care to emerge as the predominant strength. The Mid-Life Directions workshop provides the cancer survivor the opportunity to reevaluate goals, reprioritize values, and find one's own answers to these challenges to adapt to life as a cancer survivor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This clinically relevant intervention merits formal study. Facilitator preparation, mode of delivery, and other elements for possible research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA. buttc@bc.edu
authors.forename: Clare M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Butt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001293:Attitude to Death; D004493:Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D009742:Nursing Theory; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*