Geertz Wiebke, Inhestern Laura, Bergelt Corinna
Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Department of Medical Psychology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
BMC Psychol. 2025 Sep 17;13(1):1010. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-03396-3.
A parent's cancer diagnosis affects all family members. Adolescents in particular seem to be vulnerable to distress and changes associated with the cancer diagnosis. This study aims to gather information about the experiences of adolescents whose parents have cancer. We analysed communication and changes in daily life due to the parents' illness, as well as preferences for professional psychosocial support.
Semistructured interviews were conducted with 17 participants aged 15-35 years, who had experienced a parent's cancer in their youth. The analysis was conducted through content analysis, and the results are reported according to the COREQ criteria.
The data analysis yielded the following key themes: cancer-specific communication, the impact of cancer on the family and on adolescents, preferences for professional psychosocial support and advice for adolescents with a parent with cancer. According to the interviewees, most families talked about their parents' cancer. However, the extent and content varied greatly. The most frequently mentioned topics were facts about cancer and treatment. Information was frequently shared in the event of a medical appointment or intervention being scheduled. The emotional impact of the illness was rarely discussed. Both positive and negative effects on role shifts and dynamics within the family were reported, e.g., greater family cohesion or more conflicts. With regard to support needs, the majority of participants considered psychosocial support services to be useful, whether in individual sessions, with family or in groups. The optimal approach would be a combination of conversations and activities, such as joint excursions or creative activities. Furthermore, participants expressed the view that parents should make use of support services and that teachers and schools should play a more active role. They would advise other affected individuals to engage in open dialogue with parents and to seek support if necessary.
The study shows that a parent's cancer diagnosis in adolescence can significantly impact various aspects of life, and that young people want to be involved in communication about their parents' illness. The findings suggest personalised psychosocial support, especially through peer groups, is effective in supporting adolescents with a parent who has cancer.
父母被诊断出患有癌症会影响所有家庭成员。尤其是青少年似乎更容易受到与癌症诊断相关的困扰和生活变化的影响。本研究旨在收集有关父母患有癌症的青少年经历的信息。我们分析了因父母患病导致的沟通情况和日常生活变化，以及对专业心理社会支持的偏好。
对17名年龄在15至35岁之间、年轻时经历过父母患癌的参与者进行了半结构化访谈。通过内容分析进行分析，并根据COREQ标准报告结果。
数据分析得出以下关键主题：癌症相关沟通、癌症对家庭和青少年的影响、对专业心理社会支持的偏好以及给父母患癌的青少年的建议。据受访者称，大多数家庭都谈论过父母的癌症。然而，其程度和内容差异很大。最常提及的话题是癌症及治疗的相关事实。在安排医疗预约或干预时，信息经常会被分享。很少讨论疾病的情感影响。报告了疾病对家庭角色转变和家庭动态的积极和消极影响，例如家庭凝聚力增强或冲突增多。关于支持需求，大多数参与者认为心理社会支持服务是有用的，无论是个人咨询、家庭咨询还是团体咨询。最佳方式是将对话和活动相结合，例如联合远足或创意活动。此外，参与者表示父母应该利用支持服务，教师和学校应该发挥更积极的作用。他们会建议其他受影响的人与父母进行开放对话，并在必要时寻求支持。
该研究表明，青少年时期父母被诊断出患有癌症会对生活的各个方面产生重大影响，年轻人希望参与有关父母疾病的沟通。研究结果表明，个性化的心理社会支持，尤其是通过同龄人团体提供的支持，对于帮助父母患癌的青少年是有效的。
