Living fully in the shadow of mortal time: psychosocial assets in advanced cancer.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to characterize the strategies and psychosocial conditions that influence how resilient people live in the face of advanced cancer.


METHODS
Grounded theory interviews and a survey of 10 resilient people with advanced cancer were collected and analyzed.


RESULTS
Personal assets - including positive relationships, purpose in life, faith, and mastery--contributed to living fully in mortal time. Strategies included embracing paradox, reframing time, deepening connections, and aligning actions with priorities. Open-ended interviews yielded rich illness and life stories; many participants requested a copy of the transcript.


CONCLUSIONS
Resilient people use a range of strategies to thrive in the face of advanced cancer.
Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies, and Sonderegger Research Center, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2222, USA. mewise@wisc.edu
Meg
M
Wise
Lucille
L
Marchand
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001293:Attitude to Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015996:Survival Rate; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*