The psychological experiences of African American men diagnosed with prostate cancer: A phenomenological investigation

Abstract

This phenomenological qualitative study sought to discover the meaning African American men at t r ibute to a diagnosis of prostate cancer. African American men suffer f rom this type of cancer in epidemic proport ions. Three vital dyadic relationships, te rmed t raumainduced ad jus tment in te rac t ion behaviors (TAIBS), were discovered. The TAIBS revealed the attempts the study participants (n=7) made to adjust to the trauma of a prostate cancer diagnosis. A medical pastoral counseling (MPC) model was developed from the findings. The incidence of prostate cancer among African American men is twice that of European American men (Bostwick, MacLennan, and Larson, 1999). Boyle, Maisonneuve, and Napalkov (1996) estimated that more than half a mill ion cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed during 1986. Moreover, they predicted that by the end of the twent ie th century more than half a million (700,000) men wor ldwide would be diagnosed wi th prostate cancer, the majority of whom were expected to be African American. This information presents a challenge to health psychologists when considering how to provide psychological services to African American men diagnosed wi th this chronic disease. This phenomenological qualitative study sought to discover the meaning African American men attribute to a diagnosis of prostate cancer. African American men suffer from this type of cancer in epidemic proportions. Three vital dyadic relationships, termed trauma-induced adjustment interaction behaviors (TAIBS), were discovered. The TAIBS revealed the attempts the study participants (n=7) made to adjust to the trauma of a prostate cancer diagnosis. A medical pastoral