This thesis aims to explore how individuals and family members have experienced and coped with a life changing diagnosis. Diagnoses are an integral part of medical, physical health and psychological settings. A diagnosis can significantly affect individuals and their families. This thesis explores how individuals and their family members can be supported to cope with a life changing diagnosis. Chapter one is a literature review investigating how religiosity is used by individuals newly diagnosed with breast cancer. After databases and manual searches, fourteen papers that met the inclusion criteria were critically evaluated. Despite the methodological constraints and the conceptual confusion surrounding religiosity, the predominant finding was the double pronged effect of religiosity. Some individuals found religious coping provided them with comfort and meaning making, whereas others found religious coping was associated with negative adjustment to the breast cancer diagnosis. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed in relation to how individuals can be supported using religiosity when diagnosed with breast cancer. Chapter two is a qualitative exploration of parents’ experiences of caring for their child diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS) in adulthood. Eight participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview and these were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Three themes emerged: ‘Parenting the unknown’, ‘Services fumbling in the dark’ and ‘Fear of the future’. All themes were heavily influenced by the lack of understanding of AS amongst professionals and parents. These themes are considered in relation to service provisions for adults with AS and their parents. Chapter three is a reflective account of the researcher’s experience of the interview process of IPA and the dilemmas of shifting from a clinician to a researcher. The researcher further reflects on diagnostic labels, specifically the removal of AS from the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-fifth edition.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:675403 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Kaur, Gurmeash |
| Publisher | University of Warwick |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/75014/ |
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