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Li JL, Ye Q, Liu N. Cancer parents' experiences of parenting concerns about minor children: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING STUDIES ADVANCES 2024; 6:100210. [PMID: 38872959 PMCID: PMC11169080 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnsa.2024.100210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Some cancer patients not only endure physical and mental distress due to the disease and treatment but also shoulder the responsibility of raising their children. This situation significantly impacts the patients' quality of life. While there is a growing body of qualitative research focusing on parenting concerns among cancer patients, there remains a lack of comprehensive qualitative evidence. Objective This study aims to conduct a systematic review and synthesis of qualitative research evidence, investigating the experiences of cancer patients in raising minor children. Design Systematic review and synthesis of qualitative studies. Settings Through a screening process employing inclusion/exclusion criteria, qualitative studies specifically addressing cancer patients raising minor children were identified. Participants Participants: A total of 669 participants from 40 studies were included in the review. Methods Four English (Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Library) and three Chinese (CNKI, Wanfang and Sinomed) databases were searched for qualitative studies of the real-life experiences of raising children in cancer patients from the establishment of the library to January 2024. The methodological quality of the included literature was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skill Program (CSAP). Qualitative data were extracted, summarized, and meta-synthesized. Results A total of 26 studies were included in this meta-synthesis, encompassing 11 different countries. 160 themes were extracted from these included literatures, which were combined into ten categories, ultimately forming four themes: the impact of parents' disease on their children, the challenges of parenting, coping strategies, and multifaceted parenting needs. Based on the Confidence in the Output of Qualitative research synthesis (ConQual) approach, the confidence level of the synthesized findings ranged from moderate to low. Conclusions Cancer patients experience significant psychological stress while raising children, which can lead to a reduction in their quality of life and influence treatment decisions. These findings elucidate the parenting concerns experienced by cancer patients, allowing medical staff to understand their emotions and treatment preferences. Additionally, healthcare professionals should pay attention to the special needs of this group and develop targeted interventions to support and reduce patients' psychological stress and burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Ling Li
- Department of Nursing, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Guangdong, China
| | - Qin Ye
- Department of Nursing, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Guangdong, China
| | - Ning Liu
- Department of Basic Teaching and Research in General Medicine, Department of Fundamentals, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Guangdong, China
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Pholsena TN, Lewis FM, Phillips F, Loggers ET, Yockel MR, Zahlis EH, Shands ME. Advanced parental cancer and adolescents: Parenting issues and challenges. Palliat Support Care 2024:1-6. [PMID: 38736375 DOI: 10.1017/s1478951524000774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An estimated 609,820 child-rearing adults in 2023 died from advanced cancer, affecting 153,675 dependent children. Although children are known to suffer significant distress when a parent is diagnosed with cancer, few studies have described parents' views of their adolescent's behavioral response to their advanced cancer or what the parent did to interpret or manage that response. OBJECTIVES To describe patient-reported concerns about their adolescent and how they responded to their adolescent's behavior. METHODS Single occasion interviews were administered to 6 adolescent-rearing parents with Stage IV cancer. Interviews were analyzed using inductive content analysis by trained coders. Trustworthiness of results was protected through peer debriefing, coding to consensus, and maintaining an audit trail. RESULTS The core construct that explained study data was Being There without Taking Over, comprised of 4 domains: Struggling to Read My Child, Attempting to Talk with My Child about My Cancer, Trying to Maintain Optimism, and Understanding My Child. CONCLUSIONS Parents were deeply concerned about the impact of their advanced cancer on their adolescent but were unable to distinguish between cancer-related distress and adolescent angst. They feared initiating cancer-related discussions and struggled with their own feelings of guilt and parental inadequacy but did not turn to professionals for help. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS Adolescent-rearing patients with advanced disease need to be triaged into services that offer a framework from which parents can interpret their child's behavior and learn ways to have adolescent-appropriate conversations about the cancer. Such services should also help parents gain skills to manage feelings of parental inadequacy and guilt. In the absence of services, parents struggle and do not know how to interpret and respond to their adolescent's cancer-related behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thepthara N Pholsena
- UW Virology Research Clinic, Allergy and Infectious Disease Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Frances Marcus Lewis
- School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Affiliate, Public Health Sciences Division, Seattle, WA, USA
- Member, Clinical Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Farya Phillips
- Steve Hicks School of Social Work, Dell Medical School, Department of Health Social Work, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Loggers
- Division of Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Clinical Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mary Rose Yockel
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ellen H Zahlis
- School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Almulla HA, Lewis FM, Oxford ML. Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Children's Illness-Related Concerns Scale. Nurs Res 2023; 72:E172-E179. [PMID: 37625187 PMCID: PMC10463208 DOI: 10.1097/nnr.0000000000000670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the effect of maternal breast cancer on many children, there is no valid or reliable quantitative measure of the concern that children attribute to their mothers' disease, which constrains both science and clinical practice. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to develop and psychometrically evaluate the initial measures of child-reported, illness-related concerns associated with maternal cancer. METHODS The study was conducted in three phases: scoping review, item extraction from a battery of items obtained from school-aged children about general issues related to their mothers' breast cancer, and testing of the three proposed structural models of these extracted items using confirmatory factor analysis. The scoping review yielded five categories of illness-related concerns: altered family routines, uncertainty, concerns about illness contagion, maternal death, and maternal well-being. To reflect these five categories, 18 items were extracted from a 93-item questionnaire completed by 202 school-aged children regarding their mothers' breast cancer. Next, three structural models were hypothesized to assess the construct validity of illness-related concerns: five-, three-, and one-factor models. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test and compare the models. RESULTS The five-factor model best fit the data, and each factor showed adequate internal consistency reliability. These findings align with the a priori five-factor model informed by the scoping review. CONCLUSION The results provide initial evidence of the construct validity of the 18-item Children's Illness-Related Concerns Scale, which can be used to assess children's concerns and inform future intervention studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hebah A. Almulla
- Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, College of Nursing, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Frances Marcus Lewis
- University of Washington, School of Nursing, Seattle, WA
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research, Public Health Sciences and Clinical Research Divisions, Seattle, WA
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Kleinhaus H, Brähler E, Romer G, Ernst J. [Communicating about Parental Cancer with Minor Children: Necessity, Burden, and Issues from a Parent's Perspective]. Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol 2023; 73:85-88. [PMID: 36413984 DOI: 10.1055/a-1961-1219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In addition to coping with their own stresses, parents of minor children with cancer face the difficult task of communicating the diagnosis and its effects to their children. The aim of this study is to examine parents' perceptions of conversations with their children and to identify key topics for psychosocial support. METHODS Using a questionnaire, N=82 cancer patients with N=162 minor children were asked about their experiences when talking to their children about the disease. RESULTS Communication about the disease was perceived as necessary by most parents. This was especially the case for older children. With 143 out of 162 children (88.3%), the conversation was held. Of the 82 parents interviewed, 16.5% felt no burden as a result of the talks, 15.2% reported a very high burden. The feeling of not being able to protect the children was perceived as particularly stressful. DISCUSSION Most parents consider communication with the children to be important and seek it. However, many find this difficult, e. g. because they actually want to protect their children. Additional stress can be caused by questions from the children to which the parents cannot give an answer. CONCLUSION Psychosocial support can be helpful here. Experiences discussed by parents can help other parents in similar situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Kleinhaus
- Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elmar Brähler
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Georg Romer
- Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, -psychosomatik und -psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jochen Ernst
- Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Alexander ES, O’Connor M, Halkett GKB. The Psychosocial Effect of Parental Cancer: Qualitative Interviews with Patients' Dependent Children. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:children10010171. [PMID: 36670721 PMCID: PMC9857104 DOI: 10.3390/children10010171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children living with parental cancer are at an increased risk for various psychosocial, emotional, and behavioural problems. However, research regarding how children are affected by their parent's diagnosis is still developing and patients' children are typically invisible in clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate how children are affected by their parent's cancer diagnosis, from children's perspectives. METHODS Informed by methods of grounded theory and embedded within a social constructivist framework, twelve children (ranging from 5 to 17 years) living with a parent with cancer were interviewed using a semi-structured format assisted by a novel approach derived from play- and art-based developmental literature. RESULTS Findings indicate that patients' children are constantly worried and distressed, and there are barriers that can be overcome to mitigate this. Four overarching themes were identified: (I) Feeling worried and distressed; (II) Comprehending their parent's cancer diagnosis; (III) Being disconnected from their supports; and (IV) Needing someone to talk to. CONCLUSIONS Children experience considerable levels of ongoing worry and distress when a parent is diagnosed with cancer and have difficulties comprehending and articulating this. They also feel a level of disconnection from their usual support systems (e.g., parents) and are limited regarding who they can seek out and talk to. Mitigating children's ongoing worries and distress by promoting the availability and accessibility of parents and other supports to children, and reducing communication barriers between children and adults, should be a primary focus of psycho-oncology research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S. Alexander
- Discipline of Psychology, School of Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Moira O’Connor
- Discipline of Psychology, School of Population Health/Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI), enABLE Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Georgia K. B. Halkett
- Curtin School of Nursing/Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI), Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-8-9266-1762
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Marshall S, Fearnley R, Bristowe K, Harding R. 'It's not just all about the fancy words and the adults': Recommendations for practice from a qualitative interview study with children and young people with a parent with a life-limiting illness. Palliat Med 2022; 36:1263-1272. [PMID: 35766527 PMCID: PMC9446426 DOI: 10.1177/02692163221105564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare professionals report challenges in supporting dying patients who have dependent children. These parents are often uncertain how to meet the needs of their children and require appropriate support from professionals. There is limited evidence based guidance for professionals around this issue, which is informed by the views and experiences of children themselves. AIM To develop an understanding of the perspective of children on living with parental life-limiting illness and inform recommendations for healthcare professionals. DESIGN Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted, with thematic analysis of the data. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS A diverse sample of 32 children aged 6-17, whose parent was living with life-limiting illness, were recruited from across the United Kingdom. RESULTS Despite the challenges of living with a parent with a life-limiting illness, the children display agency in their response. The children: feel a responsibility to look after their family; negotiate a relationship with healthcare; employ strategies to maintain some normality; and ensure that the inevitable sadness does not become overwhelming. CONCLUSIONS Five recommendations for healthcare professionals were developed from the findings. Clinicians should encourage dying parents to: (1) acknowledge the agency of children; (2) recognise children's caregiving roles; (3) engender children's trust in healthcare; (4) maintain some normality; and (5) discuss emotions with their children. Implementing these recommendations will assist parents with a life-limiting illness to provide evidence-based support to their dependent children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Marshall
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rachel Fearnley
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Katherine Bristowe
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Richard Harding
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK
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Park EM, Wang M, Bowers SM, Muriel AC, Rauch PK, Edwards T, Yi SM, Daniel B, Hanson LC, Song MK. Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire-Advanced Disease. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2022; 39:918-925. [PMID: 34619978 DOI: 10.1177/10499091211049801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE When patients with advanced cancer have minor children (age < 18), their health-related quality of life is closely linked to their concerns about the impact of progressive illness and death on their children. The Parenting Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ), a validated measure for parents with cancer, does not capture the full range of concerns in advanced cancer. The aim of this was study was to adapt and establish psychometrics for the PCQ for advanced disease (PCQ-AD). METHODS After generating an initial item-bank, we conducted concept elicitation interviews with clinicians (n = 8) and cognitive interviews with patients (n = 23) for face validity. New items addressed concerns about impact of parental death, making every moment count, communication, and financial impact of cancer on children. We administered 21 candidate items to 151 parents with advanced cancer. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), calculated internal consistency, and assessed convergent and known-groups validity. RESULTS We removed 8 redundant items due to residual covariation between items. CFA of the 13-item PCQ-AD demonstrated satisfactory fit (CFI = 0.971, TLI = 0.966, RMSEA = 0.081) and high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94, composite reliability = 0.95). The PCQ-AD demonstrated convergent validity and known-groups validity; patients with poor functional status reported higher scores than patients with better functional status (Cohen's d = 0.56, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION Adaptation of the PCQ yielded the addition of constructs important in advanced cancer. The PCQ-AD appears to be a reliable and valid measure of parenting concerns in advanced cancer, but future studies are needed to examine measure performance in diverse populations and responsiveness of the PCQ-AD to interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza M Park
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mian Wang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Savannah M Bowers
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Anna C Muriel
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paula K Rauch
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Teresa Edwards
- H. W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- RTI Health Solutions, Research Triangle, NC
| | - Samantha M Yi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Brittany Daniel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Laura C Hanson
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care Program, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mi-Kyung Song
- Center for Nursing Excellence in Palliative Care, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Hauskov Graungaard A, Hafting M, Davidsen AS, Lykke K. How is my child doing - parental understanding of their children when a parent has cancer. J Psychosoc Oncol 2021; 41:43-58. [PMID: 34961424 DOI: 10.1080/07347332.2021.2013386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
To explore the difficulties parents face when understanding their children's reactions to parental cancer and parents' reactions to their children's perceived needs. Qualitative interviews with cancer patients and their partners. Eleven patients and seven partners took part. Their children were aged 1-15 years. Eight patients were mothers and cancer was diagnosed median 28 (7-104) months ago. Inductive analysis with systematic text condensation. Parents were groping in the dark when understanding their children's reactions. They observed signs of distress in their children, but often avoided communication about emotional reactions. We suggest parental difficulties in containing own and children's emotions as an important cause for this situation. Parents lacked relevant support offers for the family as a unit. Identification of children's difficulties cannot be based on parental evaluation alone. We suggest family support as part of standard care for patients with minor children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anette Hauskov Graungaard
- Section and Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Annette Sofie Davidsen
- Section and Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kirsten Lykke
- Section and Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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