Proceedings of The 6th International Conference on Research in Humanities and Social Sciences
Year: 2022
DOI:
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Exploring Types of Communication Approach in Minimizing Self-Stigma among Breast Cancer Patients
Saidatun Najmiah Mohd Jamil, Jusang Bolong, Mohd Nizam Osman, Tham Jen Sern
ABSTRACT:
A recent statistic has shown that women having breast cancer is tremendously increasing worldwide. The issue is alarming, especially for health practitioners in understanding the root cause and know-how solutions to help those women. However, less attention has been given to the communication approach in helping those women ease their burden of having breast cancer. Hence, in this research context, this study aims to explore how a husband’s communication approach could minimize self-stigma about his spouse having breast cancer. The semi-structured interview was conducted with ten husbands with a spouse with breast cancer. All the data has been recorded and transcribed accordingly. Using NVIVO software, the data has been segmented towards themes and subthemes aligned with the objective of this study. Three types of communication approaches are identified which are face-to-face, mass, and non-verbal. Face-to-face communication is often used because it is easy to convey and transfer a message one-to-one with his spouse. Mass communication is a type of approach that is agreeable by the husband that can connect with his spouse if there are away either by phone call or messages. Lastly, non-verbal communication involves the husband using gestures to comfort and protect his spouse in facing all the burdens of a breast cancer patient. Knowing this communication approach helps the health practitioners involve a husband while doing a medical treatment that can support and motivate his wife to go through all the processes in curing this cancer.
keywords: Breast Cancer, Communication Approach, Husband, Self-Stigma, Spouse.