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. 2016 Oct;21(10):2357-66.
doi: 10.1177/1359105315576352. Epub 2015 Apr 6.

Existential challenges experienced by lymphoma survivors: Results from the 2010 LIVESTRONG Survey

Donna M Posluszny  1 , Mary Amanda Dew  2 , Ellen Beckjord  2 , Dana H Bovbjerg  2 , John E Schmidt  2 , Carissa A Low  2 , Amy Lowery  2 , Stephanie A Nutt  3 , Sarah R Arvey  3 , Ruth Rechis  3
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Existential challenges experienced by lymphoma survivors: Results from the 2010 LIVESTRONG Survey

Donna M Posluszny et al. J Health Psychol. 2016 Oct.

Abstract

We sought to examine the existential challenges that cancer survivors may experience as they strive to make meaning, regain their self-identity, cope with fear of recurrence, and experience feelings of grief and guilt. Lymphoma survivors (n = 429) completed the 2010 LIVE STRONG: survey and provided responses about meaning, cancer worry, security, identity, grief, guilt, and perceived functional impairment due to these concerns. Most survivors (73%-86%) endorsed existential concerns, with 30-39 percent reporting related perceived functional impairment. Concerns were associated with being female, younger, unmarried, and having undergone stem cell transplantation. Lymphoma survivors experience existential challenges that impact their life even years after diagnosis.

Keywords: existential; lymphoma; meaning; survivorship; worry.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The Percentage of Respondents Who Endorsed Existential Challenges by Sociodemographic and Clinical Variables. * p<0.05; ** p<0.01
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