/library/oar/handle/123456789/47517 2025-11-06T21:47:02Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/52043 Title: Living life as a journey, day-by-day : the chronic and acute aspects of the cancer experience Abstract: The aims of this study are a) to explore the lived experiences of individuals requiring an emergency attendance due to an acute disease during their cancer trajectory; b) to understand the composite nature of cancer as an acute and a chronic disease. In order to explore the acute and chronic sides of cancer, this study draws upon theories of time and temporality, health literacy and embodiment, biographical disruption and the social construction of illness. A purposeful sampling technique was used as qualitative research methodology. Semi-structured open-ended interviews were conducted with ten patients at different phases of cancer illness. The participants were three men and seven women, aged between 34 and 82 years, undergoing chemotherapy and who attended the Emergency Department at least once during their chemotherapy period. A thematic analysis with continuous comparative method between acute and chronic characteristics of illness was conducted. Several key concepts emerged from the data. Primarily, patients with cancer live their illness trajectory as a journey, during which they describe multiple smaller journeys. Their coping idea is to live life day-by-day. The porosity of the acute and the chronic phases in cancer is also evident. Secondly, the contoured nature of time affects the process of learning and forming relevant formal and informal information networks. Finally, the re-temporalisation of time in cancer as a chronic illness creates a sense of immediacy and compression of time in the present, making space for the acute experience of illness. This conflation of the acute and the chronic gives rise to differences in biographical disruptions, embodiment and social constructionism. This dissertation problematises the perception that cancer is only a chronic illness and questions the facile distinction between its chronic and acute aspects. This study concludes that cancer is not just a chronic illness, but its nature is intertwined with multiple acute episodes, making the lived experience of cancer a dynamic and complex experience. Description: M.A.HEALTH,MEDICINE&SOCIETY 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/52042 Title: Disrupted lives and a threat to identity? Exploring illness narratives after chemotherapy as adjuvant treatment for colorectal cancer Abstract: The aims of this study are a) to explore the lived experiences of individuals requiring an emergency attendance due to an acute disease during their cancer trajectory; b) to understand the composite nature of cancer as an acute and a chronic disease. In order to explore the acute and chronic sides of cancer, this study draws upon theories of time and temporality, health literacy and embodiment, biographical disruption and the social construction of illness. A purposeful sampling technique was used as qualitative research methodology. Semi-structured open-ended interviews were conducted with ten patients at different phases of cancer illness. The participants were three men and seven women, aged between 34 and 82 years, undergoing chemotherapy and who attended the Emergency Department at least once during their chemotherapy period. A thematic analysis with continuous comparative method between acute and chronic characteristics of illness was conducted. Several key concepts emerged from the data. Primarily, patients with cancer live their illness trajectory as a journey, during which they describe multiple smaller journeys. Their coping idea is to live life day-by-day. The porosity of the acute and the chronic phases in cancer is also evident. Secondly, the contoured nature of time affects the process of learning and forming relevant formal and informal information networks. Finally, the re-temporalisation of time in cancer as a chronic illness creates a sense of immediacy and compression of time in the present, making space for the acute experience of illness. This conflation of the acute and the chronic gives rise to differences in biographical disruptions, embodiment and social constructionism. This dissertation problematises the perception that cancer is only a chronic illness and questions the facile distinction between its chronic and acute aspects. This study concludes that cancer is not just a chronic illness, but its nature is intertwined with multiple acute episodes, making the lived experience of cancer a dynamic and complex experience. Description: M.A.HEALTH,MEDICINE&SOCIETY 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/52041 Title: Mothering through sensory processing disorder : class and agency in the age of medicalisation in Malta Abstract: This dissertation explores how mothers of children with sensory processing disorder (SPD) in Malta strategically navigate fields of power within structures of disease categorisation. The controversial diagnosis means that mothers become active agents within a politics of diagnostic legitimacy, that implicates ideologies of the ‘good’ mother. In order to do this, concepts of power will be rooted in a broader view of social life based on Bourdieu’s (1986) theories of habitus and capitals. This qualitative research is based on individual in-depth interviews with seven mothers and three experts. Thematic analysis is used within a social constructionist epistemology. This study’s results raise the question of inequities in healthcare provision for children with sensory integrative difficulties. This dissertation concludes that mothers of children with SPD are not disempowered by the medical profession in the process of medicalisation. Rather, medicalisation is being navigated by a complex alliance of powerful agents, including mothers, occupational therapists and other professionals. The impact of SPD on mothers was dependent on the meaning they assigned to the SPD label and on the level of acceptance of the diagnostic label by others. Through their own skilled navigation of the medical and educational systems, the mothers were able to draw upon their own forms of capital to tactically maximise their children’s access to resources and limit negative implications of a diagnostic label. The relationship of trust between the mothers and the occupational therapist influences the legitimate competence of the therapist and legitimacy of SPD. Description: M.A.HEALTH,MEDICINE&SOCIETY 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/52040 Title: Life interrupted : exploring biographies of young adults living with depression Abstract: Background: Depression is a leading cause of disability globally. It is estimated that 3 out of 4 people have suffered from major depression at some point in their lives and if severe, might be accompanied by thoughts of self-harm or even suicide. Depression as a chronic illness is a disruptive experience that invades all aspects of the lives of young adults living with it, introducing the person to pain, suffering, blocking normative age-related transitioning. Objectives: This research aims at studying age, particularly young adults as a key factor in the exploration of disruptions and strategies of adaptation, whilst generating arguments about participants’ perspectives on the local mental health services. Research model: This research used qualitative model to address the objectives of this study. Triangulation method was adopted for data collection, whereby 3 methods were used to add breadth and depth to the study. Participants: 8 young adults (18-24 years) who have depression were interviewed (7 participated in one-to-one interview and 1 participated in an interview facilitated by photos), and 5 professionals working in mental health settings participated in a focus group. Methodology: Qualitative methods consisted in: one-to-one interviews, interview facilitated by photos and focus group. Purposive sampling was used for 3 methods. Interviews and focus group were audiotaped, transcribed and thematically analysed guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results: Three super-ordinate themes have emerged from data collection and provided a complete picture of the participants’ lived experience. Such themes included, Consequences of depression, Mobilization of Resources and Participants’ perspectives on local mental health services. Conclusion: This small-scaled study is not representative, yet provides a broad understanding of the subject matter owing to the involvement of young adults with depression who shared their experiences. Recommendations from this study include: the plea for further research that could raise the bar for mental illness, fair and equal opportunities for young people who have mental illness, the utilization of Bury’s theory of biographical disruption to understand narratives and address the needs of individuals living with mental illness, to generate awareness about youths and depression and to help families to learn how to cope when a family member is living with mental illness, to target stigma through awareness campaigns and health literacy programs, to embrace technological methods and develop suitable ICT resources that address the wellbeing of young people, to develop youth-friendly services that are modern, flexible and specialised, to provide adequate clinical resources to offer bespoke healthcare services that address the health needs and health risks of young people living in a changing world. Description: M.A.HEALTH,MEDICINE&SOCIETY 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z