Adolescents living with a parent with advanced cancer: a review of the literature

Abstract

Objective: Families and children facing the death of a parent from cancer constitute a vulnerable population often overlooked by healthcare professionals and researchers. The purpose of this review is to provide a systematic analysis of the literature that examines the experiences of parents diagnosed with advanced cancer and their adolescent children.Methods: Reviews of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method publications between 2000 and 2013 were selected in order to obtain the most current and timely studies. Articles published before 2000 but found to be seminal works on this topic were also included. No time limits were set on intervention studies.Results: Eighteen studies met the criteria for the content of this review, indicating the limited number of studies conducted on this topic. Articles were summarized using the following categories: original research on the impact on the family and parenting, original research on the impact on the child/adolescent, and interventions for families facing incurable cancer. The analysis was organized around the major themes found in the literature within each category.Conclusions: These themes will allow healthcare professionals to understand implications for clinical practice and apply the knowledge gained from this analysis of literature to guide future research. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the USA and is responsible for approximately one of every four deaths [1]. These statistics, along with the fact that close to 25% of cancer cases occur in individuals 21-55 years of age, prime childbearing and parenting years, highlight the importance of creating resources for families dealing with a cancer diagnosis [2]. Furthermore, it is estimated that close to 55,000 children may experience the death of a parent from cancer each year in the USA [3]. Families and children facing the death of a parent from advanced cancer constitute a vulnerable population often overlooked by healthcare professionals and researchers.The diagnosis of cancer in a parent triggers psychological and social pressure in children. Children and adolescents are severely impacted by a parent's cancer diagnosis in all domains of child functioning, in particular emotional wellbeing [4]. As cancer becomes more of a chronic issue due to advances in cancer treatment, children and adolescents are potentially dealing with the long-term consequences of this disease for a substantial portion of their childhood [5]. The continuous threat of a parent's cancer recurring, or the threat of death of their parent, may cause long-term negative psychosocial outcomes for children and adolescents [6].Adolescents are considered to be the group most susceptible to negative psychosocial outcomes when faced with a parent's illness [7]. Findings suggest that adolescents dealing with parental cancer demonstrate greater anxiety, depression, and emotional distress than school-age children [4,6]. Developmentally, adolescence creates fundamental changes in the...

When a parent has cancer: How does it impact on children's psychosocial functioning? A systematic review

“…() included both qualitative and quantitative studies in their review, which prevents uniformity of the reported findings. Phillips () instead has focused on advanced stages of the disease and on adolescents, thus examining a specific illness phase and developmental stage. Advanced stages of the disease bring emotional challenges specific to incurable illness and death while adolescence is a developmental stage characterised by dynamic and fundamental changes driven by the need for autonomy.…”

“…The purpose of this systematic review was to update previous reviews (Huang, O'Connor, & Lee, 2014;Osborn, 2007;Phillips, 2014;Visser, Huizinga, van der Graaf, Hoekstra, & Hoekstra-Weebers, 2004) and to provide an in-depth examination of the impact of parental cancer on children's and adolescent's psychological functioning. Visser et al (2004) included both qualitative and quantitative studies in their review, which prevents uniformity of the reported findings.…”

Psychosocial Interventions for Parents with Incurable End‐Stage Cancer: A Rapid Evidence Assessment

“…More recently, a systematic review examining structured psychosocial interventions for families of palliative patients with minor children (Kühne et al, ) identified one program that reported on intervention outcomes for parents with end‐stage cancer (Bugge, Helseth, & Darbyshire, ); other studies included parents with palliative‐stage cancer but did not report parent outcomes (Kissane & Lichtenthal, ; Schmitt et al, ; Thastum et al, ) or focused on the evaluation of service implementation processes (Romer et al, ). The latest review targeting child‐centred and family‐centred interventions that focused on adolescents living with a parent with advanced cancer (Phillips, ) identified one intervention involving parents with incurable end‐stage cancer (Bugge et al, ), as reported by Kühne et al, ().…”

A summary of high quality online information resources for parents with cancer who have adolescent and young adult children: A scoping review

“…Parents with cancer report concerns about discussing cancer with their children, being a good parent, and maintaining routines at home. 9,10 Parents with dependent children tend to experience more panic and worry when faced with advanced cancer than patients without dependent children. 11 Parental stress and depression can also have negative effects on marriage quality, parenting, family functioning, and child outcomes.…”

“…Parental cancer raises challenges to maintaining healthy family functioning and exacerbates unhealthy family functioning. Parents with cancer report concerns about discussing cancer with their children, being a good parent, and maintaining routines at home . Parents with dependent children tend to experience more panic and worry when faced with advanced cancer than patients without dependent children .…”