Shifts in perceptions of self associated with the experience of ovarian cancer — ASN Events
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Shifts in perceptions of self associated with the experience of ovarian cancer (#312)

Rebecca Carlson 1 , Joanne Brooker 2 3 , Lyndel Shand 1 , Tess Knight 1 , Sue Burney 2 4 , Lina Ricciardelli 1
  1. School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  2. Cabrini Monash Psycho-oncology, Cabrini Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  3. Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  4. School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Aims: Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer typically contend with a range of factors such as treatment side-effects, potentially including hair loss, scarring, infertility and treatment-induced menopause, which may impact their sense of self1,2. In addition, perceptions of self may be influenced by psychosocial factors including depression, altered relationships and increased dependence on others. Despite the importance of sense of self for psychosocial wellbeing, there is little research on this construct in women with ovarian cancer. The aim of this qualitative study was to understand perceived shifts in women's sense of self following diagnosis with ovarian cancer.

Methods: Women who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer at least 12 months prior to the study were recruited Australia-wide. Sixty three women who had participated in a prior quantitative study3 and provided consent to be contacted for a qualitative study were invited to participate. Thirty-five women with a mean age of 57.4 (SD 11.0) years completed a semi-structured interview conducted via telephone. Thematic analysis will be focused on the exploration of women’s perception of their sense of self following treatment for ovarian cancer and the ways in which the experience of ovarian cancer may have altered this construct.

Results: Preliminary analysis indicates a diverse range of experiences with regard to sense of self among participants. These included negative experiences which focussed on physical and psychological losses (e.g., loss of functions; loss of self-confidence) but also positive experiences such as becoming more accepting and assertive. A more in-depth analysis will examine the complex interplay of the biopsychosocial factors that influence perceptions of self in women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Conclusions:  Increased understanding of the factors that influence sense of self in this patient group may inform the development and implementation of psychosocial interventions that could improve the wellbeing of women living with ovarian cancer.

  1. Jayde, V., Boughton, M., & Blomfield, P. (2013). The experience of chemotherapy-induced alopecia for Australian women with ovarian cancer. European Journal of Cancer Care, 22, 503-512.
  2. Carter, J., Chi, D. S., Brown, C. L., Abu-Rustum, N. R., Sonoda, Y., Aghajanian, C., Levine, D. A., Baser, R. E., Raviv, L., & Barakat, R. R. (2010). Cancer-related infertility in survivorship. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 20(1), 2-8.
  3. Shand, L., Brooker, J., Burney, S., Fletcher, J., & Ricciardelli, L. (E-pub ahead of print). Symptoms of posttraumatic stress in Australian women with ovarian cancer. Psycho-oncology, DOI: 10.1002/pon.3627.
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