Resilience process and its protective factors in long-term survivors after lung cancer surgery: a qualitative study.

Background: Resilience was correlated with psychological outcomes and quality of life in lung cancer patients. But the resilience process and its protective factors remained uncertain.

Purpose: To investigate and analyze resilience process and its protective factors in long-term survivors after lung cancer surgery.

Methods: This qualitative study included 19 patients who had survived at least 5 years after lung cancer surgery. Colaizzi's method of phenomenology was used for data analysis.

Results: Analysis of this study was divided into the resilience process and protective factors. The resilience process was summarized into three stages, including initial stress, adaptation to disease, and personal growth. Five themes were regarded contributing to their own resilience in this process, including excellent psychological qualities, good social support, regular lifestyle and exercise, participating in social activities, and Chinese medicine.

Conclusion: This study showed the dynamic process of resilience and its protective factors in long-term survivors after lung cancer surgery. Future studies could identify average length of time of each stage and how patients transfer between stages during resilience process. Besides, interventions could be carried out to educate patients diagnosed with cancer about normal stages of change in body and resilience through time and strategies on adaptation and adjustment of lung cancer.