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Hayden, Lucy, Gallagher, Pamela and Dunne, Simon (2026) ‘Life is all about hope’: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of hope within the terminal cancer experience. Journal of Health Psychology. ISSN 1461-7277
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Abstract
A terminal cancer diagnosis is known to trigger psychosocial and existential concerns. Hope has been identified as a core need of patients at end-of-life; however limited research examines hope among individuals with terminal cancer specifically. This paper aimed to explore how hope was experienced, interpreted and sustained by individuals living with terminal cancer. Ten participants living with terminal cancer were recruited using purposive sampling. A cross-sectional research design was implemented with semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Two group experiential themes were generated from the data: Living with Hope and Living in the Shadow of Hopelessness. This paper highlights the complexity of hope in the context of terminal cancer. The findings suggest that hope theories should be broadened to encompass its diverse meanings across different contexts. These insights can guide the development of tailored interventions to support individuals as they navigate the terminal cancer experience.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | This article is available under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NC license and permits non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | cancer; health psychology; illness; interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA); qualitative methods |
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0254 Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology (including Cancer) Q Science > Life sciences > Medical sciences > Pathology > Tumors > Cancer |
| Divisions: | School of Business and Social Sciences > Staff Research and Publications |
| Depositing User: | Tamara Malone |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Aug 2026 13:10 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Aug 2026 13:10 |
| URI: | https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/9520 |
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