How do they grow out of their cancer experience? Korean adolescent and young adult cancer survivors' stories

Psychosocial Adjustment Experiences Among Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Survivors: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has serious effects on the daily lives and psychosocial adjustment of survivors. In particular, psychosocial problems are a prominent concern.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to understand the lived experiences of NPC survivors regarding psychosocial adjustment.

METHODS

A qualitative design using individual semistructured interviews was conducted with 20 NPC survivors. Each participant was asked open-ended questions about their lived experience with psychosocial adjustment. The data were then subjected to thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The following 4 themes, which had subthemes, were identified from the data: (1) grappling with discomforts (symptoms distress of late toxicities, impaired body image, and returning-to-work restrictions), (2) struggling with uncertainty (disease attribution with self-blame, contradictory rehabilitation information, fear of cancer recurrence, and distance from medical staff), (3) changing social patterns (special favors, social isolation, and social discrimination), and (4) cultivating positive change (healthy lifestyle and positive mindset).

CONCLUSIONS

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma survivors experience many obstacles, as well as positive changes, during psychosocial adjustment. This study highlights the pressing need to consider NPC survivors' concerns about their psychosocial adjustment.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Medical staff should provide NPC survivors with sufficient rehabilitation information to help them deal with possible late toxicities and mitigate their uncertainty and misunderstanding. Effective public education measures are needed to address misunderstandings about cancer in Chinese cultural settings.

Post-traumatic growth among childhood cancer survivors: A qualitative meta-synthesis

PURPOSE

To conduct a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies on the post-traumatic growth experiences of childhood cancer survivors.

METHOD

Various databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycInfo, ProQuest, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, China Science and Technology Journal Database (CSTJ), and China Biology Medicine (CBM) were used to retrieve qualitative studies on childhood cancer survivors who experienced post-traumatic growth.

RESULTS

Eight papers were included in this study, and similar fragments were combined to form eight categories, which were further combined into four synthesized findings: adjustment of cognitive system, enhancement of personal strength, improving relationships with others, resetting of life goals.

CONCLUSIONS

Post-traumatic growth was observed in some childhood cancer survivors. The potential resources and positive forces contributing to this growth are of great significance in the fight against cancer, in tapping into individual and social resources to help survivors grow, and in improving their survival rates and quality of life. It also provides a new perspective for healthcare providers regarding the relevant psychological interventions.

Identification of Evidence for Key Positive Psychological Constructs in Pediatric and Adolescent/Young Adult Patients with Cancer: A Scoping Review

Introduction: Children and adolescents/young adults (AYAs) with cancer are a vulnerable population susceptible to numerous late effects, such as fatigue and depression, which may diminish their long-term psychological, physical, spiritual, and emotional health. A well-rounded understanding of how positive psychological constructs affect the quality of care and treatment outcomes is therefore warranted.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review of 15 positive psychological constructs in children and AYAs with cancer. The primary research questions were (1) what is known about positive psychological constructs in children and AYAs with cancer; (2) what value is ascribed to these constructs by patients?

Results: Two hundred seventy-six articles were included after database search and screening. These studies were mostly observational or qualitative and conducted in North America. Constructs were often poorly defined, and measurement tools used to gather data were wide ranging. Numerous factors were correlated with increased or decreased expression of certain constructs, but overall themes were difficult to identify. Similarly, patients often spoke of what increased or decreased expression of a construct, with less emphasis on what they implicitly value.

Discussion: This scoping review found ample evidence for what increases or decreases expression of positive psychological constructs, but this evidence was observational and often conflicting. In the future, we recommend the development of a core set of psychological outcomes, with definitions and corresponding measurement tools. We further recommend an emphasis on randomized trials to more rigorously study how expression of constructs can be improved and what effect this has on the quality of life.

The Utility of Verbal Therapy for Pediatric Cancer Patients and Survivors: Expressive Writing, Video Narratives, and Bibliotherapy Exercises

Childhood cancer is a stressful experience. No pediatric patient, however, should be made to feel as if their concerns and feelings about their cancer experience must be bottled up inside. Importantly, talking and writing about one's illness has myriad implications for young cancer patients and survivors. The most salient of these may include increased understanding of one's condition as well as improved physical and cognitive symptoms (e.g., lowered depression, decreased anxiety, and an enhanced quality of life overall). This literature review explores three promising avenues for verbal therapy in the pediatric oncology setting: expressive writing, video narratives, and bibliotherapy exercises. Several recent studies, covering verbal therapy methods from illness blogging to book interventions, are referenced and discussed. Ultimately, we conclude that expressive writing, video narratives, and bibliotherapy exercises are valuable, feasible, inexpensive, and acceptable tools for patients and survivors of childhood cancer to facilitate self-expression-and to find meaning in the uncertainty and anxiety that cancer inherently fosters. We recommend that future studies investigate this theme so that we may improve quality of life and mental health for pediatric cancer patients and survivors worldwide.