The experience of patients post a haematopoetic stem cell transplantation

Abstract

This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach explored the lived experiences of ten patients following haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), a lifesaving yet psychologically demanding treatment. Participants who had undergone HSCT within the past two years were recruited from an oncology unit in a Public hospital in Malta. Participants were adults over the age of 18, including both genders, people of different ethnicities, backgrounds, and diseases. Eligible participants were also required to be residents of Malta or Gozo. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed manually, and analysed using an interpretative phenomenological approach once ethical approval from the ethics committee was gained. The guiding research question: ‘ What is the experience of patients post an HSCT?’ revealed significant information, with crucial insights regarding the expereinces of these individuals. The analysis revealed six interrelated overarching themes: a) psychological turbulence, b) help and support systems, c) hope and resilience, d) quality of life, e) isolation and psychological uncertainty, and f) recovery. Collectively, these themes illuminated the profound existential disruptions and meaning-making processes characterising post-transplant adjustment. Participants described ongoing psychological turbulence marked by fear, identity dislocation, and emotional exhaustion; yet also articulated the centrality of relational support, spiritual grounding, and hope in reconstructing a sense of self in recovery and the future. The findings extend existing HSCT literature by situating post-transplant adjustment within an existential-phenomenological perspective, highlighting that psychological well-being involves not merely symptom reduction but reconstruction of meaning, identity, and relational connectedness This study was conducted in Malta, where patients are required to travel abroad for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, to the researcher’s knowledge, the first qualitative exploration of post-HSCT experiences within the Maltese context. The implications highlight the importance of person-centred, relationally embedded, and existentially informed support that attends to the complex relationship between medical recovery and lived. Recommendations encompass the educational, practical, management, and policy domains, including integrating existential and psychological support into routine post-transplant care, developing staff training programs to enhance awareness of patients’ lived experiences, and implementing policy initiatives to promote continuity of care and holistic recovery frameworks. Overall, this study underscores that recovery following HSCT extends beyond medical survival, encompassing an ongoing process of meaning reconstruction, identity redefinition, and relational connectedness, highlighting the need for holistic, person-centred approaches in clinical practice and future research.