Breaking the silence: integration of facial disfigurement after surgical treatment for cancer.
Little is known about the psychosocial effects of facial disfigurement. We present the results of a qualitative study following 15 patients who had been surgically treated for head, neck, or eye cancer over the course of their first postoperative year. Taped nurse-patient conversations and individual interviews were analyzed using the grounded theory method. The findings revealed that the main concern of the patients was feeling isolated, which was resolved using a process of interactional integration. Interactional integration begins by breaking the silence to enable the progression from a disfigured person to a person with a disfigurement. The model explains the process of adjustment and demonstrates various elements that could be used in interventions targeting patients who experience psychosocial problems.
Gentofte University Hospital, Gentofte, Denmark. hakon@geh.regionh.dk
Hanne
H
Konradsen
Marit
M
Kirkevold
Antoinette
A
McCallin
Per
P
Cayé-Thomasen
Vibeke
V
Zoffmann
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001828:Body Image; D003142:Communication; D005145:Face / Q000601:surgery*; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology