"It's All My Fault": A Qualitative Case Study of Self-Disgust in Women with Gynecological Malignancies.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the psychological experience of self-disgust among patients with gynecological malignancies, providing a basis for developing targeted psychological care plans.

METHODS

Using purposive sampling, a descriptive qualitative study was conducted with 15 patients with gynecological malignancies admitted to the gynecology departments of two hospitals in Shandong Province, China, between May and August 2025. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Patients' psychological experiences of self-disgust can be categorized into four themes: impaired body image and functional loss (decompensated excretory functions, treatment-related physical image alterations); dual roots of negative self-perception (internalization of disease stigma, delayed medical care due to lack of health knowledge); Impaired psychological resilience under dual pressures (sexual function anxiety in intimate relationships, difficulties in family role transitions, experiences of social alienation); High levels of psychological distress caused by treatment side effects (loss of reproductive organs and fertility meaning, fear of disease progression and recurrence).

CONCLUSION

Gynecologic malignancies patients commonly experience multidimensional self-disgust, closely linked to body image, negative self-perception, social functioning, and psychological distress. Healthcare providers should address patients' negative self-perception through strategies including positive psychological interventions, stigma reduction, enhanced social support, and fertility counseling to improve psychological well-being and quality of life. Given the single-region sample and qualitative research design, large-scale multicenter longitudinal studies are warranted to explore how self-disgust evolves over time and across diverse cultural contexts.