Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Nursing Sciences

.: ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Examining the Relationship Between Perception of Cancer and Empathy: Descriptive Research
Kanser Algısı ve Empati Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi: Tanımlayıcı Bir Araştırma
Neşe KARAKAŞa , Seher ÇEVİK AKTURAb , Gürkan ÖZDENc , Seyhan ÇITLIK SARITAŞc
aDepartment of Public Health, Malatya Turgut Özal University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, Türkiye
bDeparment of Nursing, Fırat University Faculty of Health Sciences, Elazığ, Türkiye
cDeparment of Medical Nursing, İnönü University Faculty of Nursing, Malatya, Türkiye
Turkiye Klinikleri J Nurs Sci. 2023;15(2):446-52
doi: 10.5336/nurses.2022-92862
Article Language: EN
Full Text
ABSTRACT
 Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effect of patients' relatives' empathy level on their perception of cancer. Material and Methods: This study was designed as descriptive research. It was carried out at a university hospital located east of Turkey. The universe of the research was constituted by patient relatives at the aforementioned hospital and other healthy individuals. Data were collected using the Personal Introduction Form, the Questionnaire for Measuring Attitudes Toward Cancer (Cancer Stamp)-Community Version, and the Empathy Level Scale designed by the researchers of this study 1,006 relatives of patients constitute the sample of the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, correlation, regression, and Cronbach's alpha reliability analysis. The results of the analysis of the data collected for this study were evaluated within a 95% confidence interval, and significance was determined as p<0.05. Results: It was found that participants had positive perceptions of cancer, that their empathy scores were high, and that their cognitive empathy was higher than their social skills and emotional response. The presence of family members and the degree of relationship with them were important determinants for the questionnaire measuring attitudes toward cancer (cancer stigma) community version. Conclusion: In this study, a significant negative correlation was found between empathy and cancer-related perceptions. Respondents' attitudes toward cancer were found to change positively as empathy increased.

Keywords: Empathy; cancer perceptions; patient relative
ÖZET
 Amaç: Bu çalışma, hasta yakınlarının empati düzeylerinin, kanserin algılanışına olan etkisinin belirlenmesi amacıyla yapılmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Bu çalışma, tanımlayıcı araştırma olarak tasarlanmıştır. Araştırma Türkiye'nin doğusunda bulunan bir üniversite hastanesinde yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın evrenini söz konusu hastanedeki hasta yakınları ve diğer sağlıklı bireyler oluşturmuştur. Veriler, bu çalışmanın araştırmacıları tarafından tasarlanmış olan Kişisel Tanıtım Formu, Kansere İlişkin Tutumları Ölçme Anketi (Kanser Damgası)- Toplum Versiyonu ve Empati Düzeyi Belirleme Ölçeği aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Çalışmanın örneklemini 1.006 hasta yakını oluşturmaktadır. Verilerin analizinde tanımlayıcı istatistikler, bağımsız örneklem t-testi, korelasyon analizi, regresyon analizi ve Cronbach's alfa güvenirlik analizi kullanılmıştır. Bu çalışmada toplanan verilerin analiz sonuçları %95 güven aralığında değerlendirilmiştir ve anlamlılık p<0,05 olarak belirlenmiştir. Bulgular: Katılımcıların kansere yönelik algılarının olumlu, empati düzeylerinin yüksek, bilişsel empati düzeylerinin ise sosyal beceri ve duygusal tepki düzeylerinden yüksek olduğu saptanmıştır. Aile üyelerinin varlığı ve onlarla olan ilişki derecesinin, Kansere İlişkin Tutumları Ölçme Anketi (Kanser Damgası)-Toplum Versiyonu için önemli bir belirleyici olduğu saptanmıştır. Sonuç: Çalışmada, empati ve kansere ilişkin algı arasında güçlü negatif korelasyon saptanmıştır. Bireylerin empati düzeyleri arttıkça kansere karşı tutumlarının olumlu yönde değiştiği bulunmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Empati; kanser algısı; hasta yakını
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