Evaluation of a Focused Short-term Preventive Counselling Project for Families with a Parent with Cancer

Abstract

Twenty-four families participated in counselling for families with a parent with cancer (24 mothers, 17 fathers, and 34 children). Parents who received counselling were significantly more depressed before the counselling than a nonrandomized control group who did not receive counselling, but participated in another part of the project. For the parents, there was a significant decrease in depression and increase in family functioning scores from before to after the intervention. For the children, a significant pre- to post-decrease in depression scores was found. Changes in depression and family functioning were significantly correlated with the degree of counselling contentment. Reasons for seeking counselling were insecurity in relation to the children, problems with communication, high level of conflict, and change of roles. A number of themes appeared when parents and children described what they gained from the counselling: Confirmation in being a 'good-enough' parent, more understanding of emotions and reactions of other family members, more sense of intimacy and cohesion within the family, and normalization of own feelings.

Impact of Parental Cancer on Children

“…Parents and children can both be reluctant to talk about the diagnosis of cancer, trying to protect each other or just outright avoiding unpleasant discussions. It is crucial to offer opportunities of open communication for these families, including group counseling and family therapy, but should also be expanded to include peer support groups and group intervention for children involved (9,13,31).…”

“…It is important to provide support to parents in how to explain their diagnosis in an age-appropriate manner and allowing children the opportunity to express their questions and concerns, as doing so results with better coping mechanisms and decreased distress (13). The introduction of coping strategies that include distraction, wishful thinking, spending time with parents, helping parents, and peer support also help decrease stress and distress (13,27,31). For adolescents, providing avenues for them to connect to other peers in similar situations is important as adolescents report better support from friends whose parents also have cancer, as they find it difficult to relate or express ideas to their unaffected friends (15).…”

When a parent has cancer: An examination of the lived experience of adult children living at home

“…Above all, counsellors, and in particular counsellors/social workers working in hospital settings, need to be aware that support and/or interventions must include all members of the family, not only the spousal caregiver, as typically has been the current focus of counselling practices (Thastum, Munch-Hansen, Wiell, & Romer, 2006). Despite the need for emotional support, the accounts of these adult children showed that, for the most part, their journey was one of isolation.…”

On a journey for survival : everyday life during radiation therapy from the perspectives of women with breast cancer and their families

“…Although the findings also showed that the variability in study populations and intervention design makes generalising findings from studies difficult (ibid. ), family interventions in oncological care addressing the whole family have shown improvements in quality of life, psychological health and depressive symptoms in parents as well as children (John et al, 2013;Thastum et al, 2006).…”

“…Although the findings also showed that the variability in study populations and intervention design makes generalising findings from studies difficult (ibid. ), family interventions in oncological care addressing the whole family have shown improvements in quality of life, psychological health and depressive symptoms in parents as well as children (John et al, 2013;Thastum et al, 2006).Family Health Conversations (FamHC) were developed in Sweden by Benzein and colleagues (2008; by culturally adapting the practice models of Family Systems Nursing , 2013. Family-focused care is grounded in the belief that health and illness in a family member affect the other family members both as individuals and as a family , and it has a systemic approach that focuses on the interactions and relationships within the family with the aim of preserving health and facilitate healing.…”