Table 4.
Summary of categories, subcategories, and example key words or phrases.
| Main category | Sub category | Example key words or phrases |
|---|---|---|
| Source of support | Health professionals | Nurse |
| General practitioner | ||
| Neurosurgeon | ||
| Oncologist | ||
| Social worker | ||
| Psychologist | ||
| Services | Brain tumor support group | |
| Cancer support association | ||
| Health insurance provider | ||
| Government (e.g., disability support) | ||
| Brain injury outreach service | ||
| Informal network | Family | |
| Friends | ||
| Neighbors | ||
| Work colleagues | ||
| Cancer community | ||
| Type of support | Emotional | Someone to talk to |
| Keeping in touch | ||
| Being there when it mattered | ||
| Sharing experiences | ||
| Practical | Financial support | |
| Housework | ||
| Made meals for us, childcare | ||
| Information | Brain tumors | |
| Treatment | ||
| Supporting someone with a tumor | ||
| Nature of support | Time frame | Not daily, but there when we needed it |
| No support when we left hospital | ||
| Only contacted every couple of months | ||
| Manner of interacting | Warm, kind | |
| Gave hope | ||
| Blunt | ||
| Not empathetic | ||
| Gave no reassurance | ||
| Factors impacting on support | Support being offered | Distance |
| Short time between diagnosis and treatment | ||
| People not knowing what to say | ||
| Support being sought | Short time between diagnosis and treatment | |
| Shock after diagnosis | ||
| We thought he would be ok | ||
| Lack of knowledge about services | ||
| Time constraints/work conflicts | ||
| No services in our area | ||
| Impact on relationships | Changes in relationship | Made us closer |
| Abuse and criticism all day | ||
| Close before and still close now | ||
| Changes in roles | Full-time parent | |
| Main breadwinner | ||
| Increased household responsibilities | ||
| Change in employment |