- Title
- ‘Having the Mask On Didn't Worry Me Until … They Clamped My Head Down So I Wouldn't Move’: A Qualitative Study Exploring Anxiety in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer During Radiation Therapy
- Creator
- Forbes, Erin; Clover, Kerrie; Baker, Amanda L.; Britton, Ben; Carlson, Melissa; McCarter, Kristen
- Relation
- Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences Vol. 70, Issue 3, p. 283-291
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jmrs.658
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2023
- Description
- Introduction: More than 20% of patients undergoing radiation therapy for head and neck cancer report anxiety specifically related to the immobilisation mask, a tight-fighting mask patients are required to wear for the duration of each treatment session. However, limited research has investigated this from the patient perspective. The aim of this study was to better understand patient experiences of mask anxiety during head and neck cancer radiation therapy and to explore patient attitudes toward potential strategies that may reduce mask anxiety during this treatment. Methods: Five patients with head and neck cancer, who had self-reported mask anxiety during radiation therapy, participated in semi-structured, qualitative interviews exploring their experiences of anxiety and suggestions for reducing anxiety. A codebook thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Six main themes were identified: (1) triggers of anxiety; (2) adjusting to radiation therapy; (3) education about the mask; (4) coping; (5) motivation and (6) improving the patient experience. Conclusion: Findings from these interviews provide valuable insight into how and when healthcare providers may be able to assist patients to manage mask anxiety. Recommendations include increased communication from health care providers; delivery of visual information to improve patient preparedness; exposure/opportunities to interact with the masks prior to treatment commencing and increased control of music/soundtrack selection. However, a limitation of this study is the small sample size and further research is warranted.
- Subject
- clinical site; claustrophobia; discipline; head and neck; general; psychology; SDG 3; Sustainable Development Goals
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1487744
- Identifier
- uon:52239
- Identifier
- ISSN:2051-3895
- Rights
- © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy and New Zealand Institute of Medical Radiation Technology. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
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