Processing Breast Cancer Experience in Under-Fifty Women: Longitudinal Trajectories of Narrative Sense Making Functions

Abstract

Cancer narration is an elective tool to construct sensemaking processes aimed at supporting adaptation to the experience. The literature lacks a longitudinal narrative sensemaking exploration of breast cancer experience (BC) at an age below 50 years old. We administered an ad hoc narrative interview during pre-hospitalization-T1/postoperative counseling-T2/adjuvant therapy-T3/follow-up-T4. This study is a qualitative analysis of how narrative functions, as semiotic connection processes at the base of adaptation to the experience, are articulated during the four phases. Results highlight that the function of the organization of temporality changes from a relieved mode-T1 to reconstructive/chronological/blocked-T4; the search for meaning changes from an internalized mode-T1 to an internalized/externalized/generalized/nonsense-T4; emotional regulation changes from pervasive mode-T1 to connected/pervasive/disconnected -T4; and orientation to action changes from uncertain mode-T1 to combative-T2-T3-T4. From a clinical health psychology perspective, the different natural sensemaking trajectories emerged suggest constructing a personalized narrative intervention to follow the natural path of adaptation during BC experience, not only at the end, to accompany phases of integration and fluidity and to support phases of psychic stiffening and disconnection.

Keywords:

• Breast cancer
• trauma experience
• narrative
• sense-making
• under-fifty women

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This research was carried out in the frame of Programme STAR, financially supported by UniNA and Compagnia di San Paolo.

Notes on contributors

Maria Luisa Martino

Maria Luisa Martino is the scientific coordinator of the project, she developed the theoretical framework of the present study, designed the research project, and contributed to the scientific supervision of the entire study. Daniela Lemmo and Anna Gargiulo contributed to the methodological approach, development of narrative interview, collection of data, and wrote the manuscript. Daniela Barberio, Valentina Abate support the construction of the introduction and interpretation of findings. Maria Francesca Freda supervisioned the work and the project. All authors discussed the results, commented the manuscript, and gave the final approval of the work.

Daniela Lemmo

Maria Luisa Martino is the scientific coordinator of the project, she developed the theoretical framework of the present study, designed the research project, and contributed to the scientific supervision of the entire study. Daniela Lemmo and Anna Gargiulo contributed to the methodological approach, development of narrative interview, collection of data, and wrote the manuscript. Daniela Barberio, Valentina Abate support the construction of the introduction and interpretation of findings. Maria Francesca Freda supervisioned the work and the project. All authors discussed the results, commented the manuscript, and gave the final approval of the work.

Anna Gargiulo

Maria Luisa Martino is the scientific coordinator of the project, she developed the theoretical framework of the present study, designed the research project, and contributed to the scientific supervision of the entire study. Daniela Lemmo and Anna Gargiulo contributed to the methodological approach, development of narrative interview, collection of data, and wrote the manuscript. Daniela Barberio, Valentina Abate support the construction of the introduction and interpretation of findings. Maria Francesca Freda supervisioned the work and the project. All authors discussed the results, commented the manuscript, and gave the final approval of the work.

Daniela Barberio

Maria Luisa Martino is the scientific coordinator of the project, she developed the theoretical framework of the present study, designed the research project, and contributed to the scientific supervision of the entire study. Daniela Lemmo and Anna Gargiulo contributed to the methodological approach, development of narrative interview, collection of data, and wrote the manuscript. Daniela Barberio, Valentina Abate support the construction of the introduction and interpretation of findings. Maria Francesca Freda supervisioned the work and the project. All authors discussed the results, commented the manuscript, and gave the final approval of the work.

Valentina Abate

Maria Luisa Martino is the scientific coordinator of the project, she developed the theoretical framework of the present study, designed the research project, and contributed to the scientific supervision of the entire study. Daniela Lemmo and Anna Gargiulo contributed to the methodological approach, development of narrative interview, collection of data, and wrote the manuscript. Daniela Barberio, Valentina Abate support the construction of the introduction and interpretation of findings. Maria Francesca Freda supervisioned the work and the project. All authors discussed the results, commented the manuscript, and gave the final approval of the work.

Maria Francesca Freda

Maria Luisa Martino is the scientific coordinator of the project, she developed the theoretical framework of the present study, designed the research project, and contributed to the scientific supervision of the entire study. Daniela Lemmo and Anna Gargiulo contributed to the methodological approach, development of narrative interview, collection of data, and wrote the manuscript. Daniela Barberio, Valentina Abate support the construction of the introduction and interpretation of findings. Maria Francesca Freda supervisioned the work and the project. All authors discussed the results, commented the manuscript, and gave the final approval of the work.