Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA.
Palliat Support Care. 2021 Jun;19(3):329-334. doi: 10.1017/S1478951520001005.
Advanced cancer patients who are parents of minor children experience heightened psychosocial distress. Oncology social workers (OSWs) are essential providers of psychosocial support to parents with advanced cancer. Yet, little is known about the experiences and approaches of OSWs in addressing these patients' unique needs. The purpose of this study was to characterize the attitudes, practice behaviors, and training experiences of OSWs who provide psychosocial care for advanced cancer patients with minor children.
Forty-one OSWs participated in a cross-sectional survey addressing multiple facets of their psychosocial care for parents with advanced cancer. The five assessed domains of psychosocial support were communication support, emotional support, household support, illness and treatment decision-making support, and end-of-life planning.
Participants reported greatest confidence in counseling patients on communication with children about illness and providing support to co-parents about parenting concerns. OSWs reported less confidence in counseling parents on end-of-life issues and assisting families with non-traditional household structures. The majority of participants reported needing more time in their clinical practice to sufficiently address parents' psychosocial needs. Nearly 90% of participants were interested in receiving further training on the care of parents with advanced cancer.
To improve the care of parents with advanced cancer, it is critical to understand how the psychosocial oncology workforce perceives its clinical practice needs. Study findings suggest an opportunity for enhanced training, particularly with respect to end-of-life needs and in response to the changing household structure of American families.
患有晚期癌症的未成年子女的父母会经历更高程度的心理社会困扰。肿瘤社会工作者（OSWs）是为患有晚期癌症的父母提供心理社会支持的重要提供者。然而，对于 OSWs 如何满足这些患者独特需求的经验和方法却知之甚少。本研究的目的是描述为有未成年子女的晚期癌症患者提供心理社会关怀的 OSWs 的态度、实践行为和培训经验。
41 名 OSWs 参与了一项横断面调查，调查内容涉及他们为患有晚期癌症的父母提供心理社会关怀的多个方面。评估的心理社会支持的五个领域包括：沟通支持、情感支持、家庭支持、疾病和治疗决策支持以及临终规划。
参与者报告在辅导患者与孩子沟通疾病和为有共同父母的孩子提供养育问题方面最有信心。OSWs 报告在辅导父母处理临终问题和帮助非传统家庭结构方面的信心较低。大多数参与者报告在临床实践中需要更多时间来充分满足父母的心理社会需求。近 90%的参与者有兴趣接受进一步的培训，以照顾患有晚期癌症的父母。
为了改善患有晚期癌症的父母的护理，了解心理肿瘤学工作者如何看待其临床实践需求至关重要。研究结果表明，有机会加强培训，特别是在临终需求方面，并针对美国家庭不断变化的家庭结构。
