Date of Conferral
2018
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Counselor Education and Supervision
Advisor
Jason L. Patton
Abstract
Scholarly articles related to the physical and emotional effects of prostate cancer treatment and survivorship are abundant. However, few researchers have explored resiliency of prostate cancer survivors through their recovery and survivorship experience. There is a gap in the literature regarding resilience through the lived experiences of prostate cancer survivors. Counselor educators could be better prepared to teach counselors to promote the resilience needs of prostate cancer survivors. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of prostate cancer survivors. Coding analysis of data collected from interviews of 7 participants generated 3 major themes and 30 subthemes of experiences. Themes included experiences and feelings surrounding the cancer diagnosis, descriptions of resilience, and the personal growth the participants gained from their experiences. The results of this study give voice to their challenges and offer insight into how prostate cancer survivors find meaning while adapting constructively to adversity and resilience. A clearer understanding of these experiences may promote understanding of the prostate cancer experience for men, offer insight for promoting resilience among prostate cancer survivors, and give clues to the experiences of other populations responding to cancer.
Recommended Citation
Lacourt, Luis Eduardo, "A Phenomenological Exploration into the Resiliency of Prostate Cancer Survivors" (2018). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 4971.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/4971
