Use Of Humor To Reduce Anxiety Among Masectomized Patients In A Tertiary Hospital In Metro Manila, Philippines
Use Of Humor To Reduce Anxiety Among Masectomized Patients In A Tertiary Hospital In Metro Manila, Philippines
Date
2023-07-12
Authors
Mabaet, Liliana Marie M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
N/A
Abstract
The most frequent malignancy to strike women is breast cancer. Greater worry about other body parts being removed has been sparked by mastectomy as a surgical intervention for women with breast cancer. It is difficult for the patients that their body image may be altered after mastectomy, and many women find their self-esteem injured. Women experience severe mental, emotional, and physical stress following a catastrophic breast cancer diagnosis.
Pre-operative anxiety occurs in patients scheduled for mastectomy, and nurses must address this as part of nursing care. The use of comedy video clip as humor intervention to lessen anxiety among breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy in the Philippines has not yet been studied. Filipinos are known to be amiable and joyful in stressful situations. This study aimed to determine the humor profile of Filipino breast cancer patients scheduled for mastectomy and to describe the level of anxiety before and after humor intervention. Humor intervention was introduced to 41 selected patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer at Stages 1 to 4 for the first time and who underwent mastectomy.
Sequential explanatory mixed methodology was utilized in the study. Qualitative analysis was done on the outcomes of the focus group discussion among mastectomized patients. Results showed that breast cancer patients frequently find humor in everyday situations and that humor intervention was found to lessen levels of stress, anxiety, and sadness among mastectomized patients.
Laughter and joy are the hallmarks of humor. It is recommended that humor intervention be made available among mastectomized patients to decrease anxiety and provide self-healing to their breast cancer journey.
Description
Mastectomy, as a surgical intervention for women with breast cancer, has provoked greater anxiety over other parts of the body when removed. The entire breast is surgically removed in mastectomy. Losing a breast does have not significance for a man as for a woman. The surgery causes significant loss of sensation in the breast, which can have an impact on the part of the body associated with femininity and sexuality. The life-altering nature of breast cancer changes the way a patient looks at her life without the same confidence in her body as she did prior to having the illness. The body image after mastectomy may be altered, and her perception of feeling healthy has been severely challenged. The patient no longer feels the same as she did before the breast cancer diagnosis and mastectomy, and it can be stress-provoking. Also, women are the caretakers in the family and the nurturer of her children, making life more complicated for the breast cancer patients more than anyone else can imagine. This can lead to emotional turmoil in response to a diagnosis of breast cancer.