Consequences of Sympathy and Sense of Pity of People Towards Cancer Patients: an Opinion
Abstract
When people hear about someone who has cancer, it is not uncommon for them to experience feelings of sympathy and pity. However, while these reactions are well-intentioned, they can have negative consequences for the patient. Sympathy is a feeling or emotional response characterized by compassion, understanding, and concern for the suffering or hardship experienced by another person. It involves the ability to share in the feelings of others and to genuinely care about their well-being. This article will explore the negative consequences of sympathy and pity reactions of people toward cancer patients.
1. Sharif SP, Lehto RH, Amiri M, Ahadzadeh AS, Nia HS, Haghdoost AA, et al. Spirituality and quality of life in women with breast cancer: The role of hope and educational attainment. Palliative & supportive care. 2021;19(1):55-61.
2. Gerace A. Roses by other names? Empathy, sympathy, and compassion in mental health nursing. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 2020;29(4):736-44.
3. Breyer T. Empathy, sympathy and compassion. The Routledge handbook of phenomenology of emotion. 2020:429-40.
4. Scott N, Crane M, Lafontaine M, Seale H, Currow D. Stigma as a barrier to diagnosis of lung cancer: patient and general practitioner perspectives. Primary health care research & development. 2015;16(6):618-22.
5. Sheehan L, Corrigan P. Stigma of disease and its impact on health. The Wiley encyclopedia of health psychology. 2020:57-65.
6. Yilmaz M, Dissiz G, Usluoğlu AK, Iriz S, Demir F, Alacacioglu A. Cancer-related stigma and depression in cancer patients in a middle-income country. Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2020;7(1):95-102.
7. Knapp S, Marziliano A, Moyer A. Identity threat and stigma in cancer patients. Health psychology open. 2014;1(1):2055102914552281.
8. Akin-Odanye EO, Husman AJ. Impact of stigma and stigma-focused interventions on screening and treatment outcomes in cancer patients. ecancermedicalscience. 2021;15.
2. Gerace A. Roses by other names? Empathy, sympathy, and compassion in mental health nursing. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 2020;29(4):736-44.
3. Breyer T. Empathy, sympathy and compassion. The Routledge handbook of phenomenology of emotion. 2020:429-40.
4. Scott N, Crane M, Lafontaine M, Seale H, Currow D. Stigma as a barrier to diagnosis of lung cancer: patient and general practitioner perspectives. Primary health care research & development. 2015;16(6):618-22.
5. Sheehan L, Corrigan P. Stigma of disease and its impact on health. The Wiley encyclopedia of health psychology. 2020:57-65.
6. Yilmaz M, Dissiz G, Usluoğlu AK, Iriz S, Demir F, Alacacioglu A. Cancer-related stigma and depression in cancer patients in a middle-income country. Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2020;7(1):95-102.
7. Knapp S, Marziliano A, Moyer A. Identity threat and stigma in cancer patients. Health psychology open. 2014;1(1):2055102914552281.
8. Akin-Odanye EO, Husman AJ. Impact of stigma and stigma-focused interventions on screening and treatment outcomes in cancer patients. ecancermedicalscience. 2021;15.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 14 No 4 (2022) | |
| Section | commentary | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/bccr.v14i4.14673 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Sympathy Pity Cancer Oncology | ||
| Rights and permissions | |
|
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Goudarzian AH. Consequences of Sympathy and Sense of Pity of People Towards Cancer Patients: an Opinion. Basic Clin Cancer Res. 2023;14(4):198-201.
