ABSTRACT
The paper describes major areas of concern and preferred coping mechanisms among 17 young survivors of childhood cancer who participated in an 8-day adventure jeep trip in Greece. The paper also deals with various aspects of "adventure therapeutic activity." The participants were videotaped and interviewed during and after the trip. The data gathered were studied through a process of content analysis. Survivors' main areas of concern included: coping with uncertainty, dependency versus autonomy, social exclusion, separation processes, body image, intimacy, sexuality and fertility, and occupation. Preferred coping styles included use of humor, religious beliefs, cognitive reframing, and use of imagination. The trip provided the young adults with an opportunity for physical challenges, and they reported improvements in self-confidence, independence, and social contacts. The trip served as a catalyst for further group activities and group support. An adventure trip seems to be a suitable therapeutic milieu for young adult cancer survivors, where they can profit from a nurturing setting in which rehabilitation-promoting resources are available. It still remains to be seen which components of such an activity are more health promoting, what contraindications there could be, if any, for participation in such a trip, and what role health professionals should play in this kind of activity.
Subject(s)
Neoplasms/psychology , Socioenvironmental Therapy/methods , Survivors/psychology , Travel/psychology , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Fantasy , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Greece , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , Male , Personal Autonomy , Social IsolationABSTRACT
Clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease take place in medical centers all over the world. Patients and caregivers have to decide whether or not to agree to participate in clinical trials. This study aimed to investigate the motivation that determines the caregivers' choice. Nineteen caregivers of demented patients who consented to participate in a clinical trial in our Memory Clinic and 10 caregivers who refused to participate were interviewed. The data were gathered by a self-report questionnaire covering various aspects of the caregivers' decision-making process. Among the reasons for agreeing to participate in the clinical trial were the respondents' belief that it would improve or help to maintain the patients' condition. Most of the respondents of both groups indicated that information regarding side effects and success probability was adequately provided in advance. The primary reason for refusal was the potential side effects of the drug. The implications of the findings are discussed.