Browsing by Author "Lang, Michael James"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Emerging Horizons: Crafting Meaning and Cultivating Understanding Through Digital Storytelling
    (2021-11-02) Lang, Michael James; Laing, Catherine; Moules, Nancy; McLeod, Deborah
    Adolescent and young adults (AYA) are a distinct sub-population in oncology with unique needs and a high risk of long-term psychosocial distress. However, few age-appropriate psychosocial interventions for this population have been developed. Digital Storytelling (DST) is a multimedia production methodology that uses images, videos, a voiceover, and various video editing techniques to convey an important story in a short, three-to-four-minute film. The characteristics of DST suggest it could help AYA cancer survivors to craft and share their cancer story in a way that enhances psychosocial health. The purpose of this philosophical hermeneutic inquiry was to understand the DST experiences of AYA cancer survivors. Six AYAs were invited to participate in a DST workshop that was filmed and crafted into a documentary film called Emerging Horizons. The AYAs were interviewed before, during, and after the workshop with both the interviews and the film being analysed to bring understanding to the topic. Findings from this research revealed that the storying/re-storying process of DST provided AYAs the opportunity to craft meaning from their cancer experience and cultivate a deeper understanding of the life lessons embedded in it. Some specific findings included DST as a means to (a) stop and reflect on the inner emotional experience of cancer, (b) use more than words to convey the cancer experience, (c) leverage the possibilities of a co-creative space to gain deeper understanding, (d) provide direction for a future self, and (e) challenge culturally acceptable cancer narratives. Findings also elucidated the suitability of DST across the AYA cancer survivorship trajectory, identified hermeneutic philosophy as a strong philosophical foundation for DST praxis, and highlighted the opportunities of DST and documentary filmmaking in health research. DST, I conclude, is an age-appropriate intervention for AYAs and, in the right context and setting, can support AYAs to incorporate a cancer experience into their developing identity. The in-depth understanding of the DST experiences of AYAs provided through both the film and written interpretations in this study will enable future DST research with AYAs and across other healthcare populations and contexts.