Masters Thesis

Complementary therapy for cancer survivors: participatory research on quality of life

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine if cancer survivors experienced an improvement in their quality of life after participating in Complementary Therapy Programs offered at Memorial Medical Center. A total of 136 cancer survivors participated in this study by completing a descriptive survey designed to examine six elements of quality of life: physical health, social relationships, emotional state, mental functioning, and attitude towards life. As a result of participating in the complementary therapy programs, this study confirmed that cancer survivors experienced improvement in their quality of life. The two elements of quality of life that were most significantly impacted were their physical health and mental functioning. Implications for social work practitioners include a better understanding of the benefits that complementary therapy users receive when going through cancer treatment, potentially offering refinement in the health care system that provide patients with higher quality care. Social workers may also gain more knowledge on the positive effects of complementary therapies, allowing them to offer effective resources and education

Items in ScholarWorks are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.