Abstract

SILVA, Shirley de Souza; AQUINO, Thiago Antonio Avellar de  and  SANTOS, Roberta Montenegro dos. Patients with cancer: cognitions and emotions coming from diagnosis. Rev. bras.ter. cogn. [online]. 2008, vol.4, n.2, pp.73-89. ISSN 1808-5687.

Considering the increasing number of new cases of cancer in Brazil, and the fact that diagnosis is considered critical, the present study has the objective of investigating patient’s thoughts and feelings at the diagnosis moment. Ten patients with cancer, treated in a support house in the city of Joao Pessoa - PB, participated of these studies. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews composed of two questions and by the introduction of photographs that indicate emotions, with the goal of identifying feelings experienced by the patients at the diagnosis moment. These interviews were done individually after previous authorization from the patients. The results indicate that the diagnosis moment is lived in a disturbing way as it evokes thoughts about death and provokes emotional reactions that can interfere with the welfare of patients. From these results it is possible to notice the importance of psychological interventions, mainly, in the diagnosis moment and during the treatment of the disease, as a way of reducing negative reactions coming from the diagnosis

Keywords : Cognitions; Cancer; Emotions.

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