Tailored personas for anticipatory grief management among primary family caregivers of patients with advanced lung cancer in China: a qualitative study.

This study aims to explore the heterogeneity of anticipatory grief experiences among primary family caregivers of patients with advanced lung cancer in China and to identify caregiver personas as a basis for the development of personalized anticipatory grief management strategies. A qualitative study was conducted between July and September 2024 at a tertiary hospital in mainland China. Primary family caregivers of patients with advanced lung cancer were selected through purposive sampling, combined with a maximum difference sampling strategy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to capture their experiences of anticipatory grief. Interpretive phenomenology and thematic analysis were used to extract factual labels and construct a dimensional model. Following a systematic five-stage workflow, caregiver personas were identified through a hierarchical decision tree based on five core dimensions. Finally, caregiver personas were developed based on dimensional classification, with their experiences of anticipatory grief visualized through labeled character personas. A total of 19 eligible caregivers participated in the study. Five dimensions-family support, emotional expression, emotional burden, meaning construction, and future coping-were identified from the anticipatory grief and coping strategies of primary family caregivers of patients with advanced lung cancer. By combining caregivers' personal attributes, five user personas were identified: the optimist behind the smiling mask, the lone warrior trudging forward under heavy burdens, the master of meaning reconstruction, the conflicted decision-maker, and the feature-weaving mixer. Precise interventions based on caregiver personas are essential for enhancing the management of anticipatory grief among primary caregivers of patients with advanced lung cancer. This study constructs five distinct caregiver personas, providing a foundation for implementing precision interventions that address the diverse needs of this group in managing anticipatory grief and reshaping their perceptions of life's value.