Qualitative research: psychological experience of the first relatives of cancer patients who giving up chemotherapy

Objective To study the psychological experience of first relatives of cancer patients who giving up chemotherapy so as to provide evidence for improving life quality of families and relatives of cancer patients.Methods Phenomenological analysis of qualitative study was used for in-depth interviews among 15 cases of relatives.Data were collected and analyzed using Colaizzi analysis.Results Psychological experiences of relatives were attributed to the three themes:psychological reactions including anxiety,blame,sadness,fear,remorse,helplessness,conflict and frustration.Impact on life including shifting of life focus,changing of lifestyle.In addition,depression,anxiety and guilty were major psychological experiences of those relatives.Conclusions Cancer patients' relatives are under great mental pressure, especially after giving up chemotherapy.Medical information,emotional and other support are needed for them. Key words: Cancer patients; Giving up chemotherapy; The first relatives; Psychological experience; Qualitative research