BackgroundThe number of breast cancer survivors has increased since 1990 due to advances in biomedical technology that lead to an increase in early diagnosis and treatment. Research on survivorship has focused on the psychological and treatment aspects of the disease. The goal of this study was focused on exploring the lived experiences of breast cancer survivors from diagnosis, treatment and beyond.ObjectiveTo understand the lived experiences of women who are breast cancer survivors.Design, Setting and ParticipantsA purposive sampling strategy was used to recruit participants from two Missouri cancer centres. A total of 15 women breast cancer survivors were interviewed.FindingsThree major themes emerged that described the lived experiences of the women. These were factors from the diagnosis and treatment management impacting survivorship, relationship and support system and implication of survivorship. Participants noted that coping with the diagnosis and treatment was a stressful journey and required lots of adjustment and changes. Some developed various techniques such as journaling their activities which provided comfort. In addition, support from family was shared as the key which gave them strength and courage through the different stages of treatment. However, they found it difficult to articulate what survivorship meant.ConclusionUsing in‐depth interview techniques, this study shed light on the experiences of women who were diagnosed with breast cancer and have completed treatment. They acknowledged frustration with their diagnosis and body changes. Support received from family and friends helped them cope through their treatment. However, they felt abandoned once the treatment phase was over and were uncertain what survivorhood meant to them.

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The heartland of America is experiencing unprecedented demographic changes as more Latino newcomers move to rural communities. Our goal is to understand the factors that contribute to the integration and economic contributions of Latino newcomers to the Midwest, using a sustainable livelihood strategies model to focus especially on the roles of identity, acculturation, social capital, and context of reception. Several preliminary analyses presented in this paper will inform the development of a large-scale household survey of newcomers to examine their settlement patterns and asset accumulation strategies. These analyses are designed to identify factors that facilitate the integration of newcomers, focusing on the immigrants themselves and the resources that they bring to the integration process, using two approaches. The first uses 2000 Census data to explore the impact of acculturation, social capital, and an aspect of context of reception, community climate, on income generation. The second uses focus groups to engage men and women newcomers from communities in three regions of Missouri in an exploration of the context of reception

The Latina/o population has grown significantly in new settlement communities in the Midwest portion of the United States in the past 10 to 15 years (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). The current study seeks to better understand the status of integration in 1 such community from the perspectives of immigrants and members of the host community. Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework as a theoretical base, we define integration as a product of the social, cultural, human, and economic assets possessed by immigrants and host community residents within a rural settlement community. We explore the status of integration based on how well-developed these capitals are among immigrants and host community residents. Focus groups were conducted with 28 participants (11 host community residents, 17 Latina/o immigrants) in a small farming community (population approximately 1,960; U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). Data reveal differing levels of social, cultural, human, and economic capitals as well as power disparities between immigrants and host community residents. The data indicate that, although nearly 15 years have passed since a large increase in the Latina/o immigrant population, this community is still largely unintegrated. Findings provide a basis for interventions to facilitate integration in rural settings, which must account for the experiences of both immigrants and host community residents. Limitations of the study and suggestions for psychological practice and future research in emerging immigrant settlement communities are discussed.

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