%0 Journal Article
%T ¡®A new normal with chemobrain¡¯: Experiences of the impact of chemotherapy
%A Ainslea J Cross
%A Amy R Baraniak
%A Fiona ME Henderson
%J Health Psychology Open
%@ 2055-1029
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/2055102919832234
%X Chemobrain is one of the most commonly reported side-effects of cancer treatment. However, there is limited research into its psychosocial concomitants. This study aimed to explore the long-term lived experience of chemobrain. Interpretative phenomenological analysis allowed an in-depth investigation of 12 breast cancer survivors suffering from perceived cognitive deficits at least 1-year post-treatment. Themes were organised around the illness representations framework. Commonly reported cognitive deficits related to memory, language and processing speed, which affected participants¡¯ sense of identity and their interactions with others. Individual experiences were mediated by health beliefs regarding controllability, validation and impairment trajectory
%K breast cancer
%K cancer
%K chemobrain
%K cognitive impairment
%K illness perception
%K interpretative phenomenological analysis
%K quality of life
%K qualitative methods
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2055102919832234