Against all odds : resilience in the face of breast cancer

Abstract

This is a qualitative study on resilience in adults with breast cancer, analysed through Grounded Theory. Five resilient adults with breast cancer spoke about how they coped with the illness and grew from the experience. Analysis brought out the underlying protective processes that contributed to the participants‟ resilience. Eight common themes emerged which were (1) Understanding Vulnerability and Accepting the Adverse Situations, (2) finding a Reason to Live through Satisfaction, (3) Belief in One's Internal Resources, (4) Taking Control of what you can Change, (5) Taking All the Support you can get, (6) Upholding Positivity and Humour- because…why not?, (7)Fulfilment of the Need and Want to be Understood, (8) Setting the Goal to Live, and Live Fully. The findings are discussed in relation to the limited literature on resilience in adulthood and future recommendations are made to further develop research in this area.