Providing Children and Adolescents Opportunities for Social Interaction as a Standard of Care in Pediatric Oncology

Abstract

Experiences with peers constitute an important aspect of socialization, and children and adolescents with cancer may experience reduced social interaction due to treatment. A literature review was conducted to investigate the evidence to support a standard of care evaluating these experiences. Sixty-four articles were reviewed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. Moderate quality of evidence suggest that social interaction can be beneficial to increase knowledge, decrease isolation, and improve adjustment and constitute an important, unmet need. The evidence supports a strong recommendation for youth with cancer to be provided opportunities for social interaction following a careful assessment of their unique characteristics and preferences.Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:S724-S749. C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Social skills interventions for survivors of pediatric brain tumors: A review and reformulation

“…Alternatively, there may be opportunity to develop interventions that occur during the active therapy period. Although recent calls have highlighted the necessity of ensuring social interaction during treatment, no study has actively assessed the feasibility of implementing an intervention with youth with brain tumors during this time. The idea of preventing deficits has been proposed in the neurocognitive realm, and, in some respects, this may work even better for social functioning.…”

“…The need for opportunities for social interaction throughout treatment and into survivorship has been established as a psychosocial standard of care for pediatric oncology . Although, at present, there is limited support for recommending the specific interventions reviewed in this paper to families, increasing opportunities for social interaction and assessment of current social functioning should be a standard part of clinical services for youth with all cancers, and those with brain tumors in particular.…”

Spiritual assessment and spiritual care offerings as a standard of care in pediatric oncology: A recommendation informed by a systematic review of the literature

“…The Standards recognized the role of spiritual leaders as psychosocial and intervention support partners for children and families . The Standards recognized that pediatric and adolescent oncology patients and their family members may obtain social connectedness through their faith communities . The Standards emphasized the importance of assessing “cultural and spiritual beliefs and practices in the context of the family's and patient's reactions to illness and treatment.” Only one published Standard used search terms “spirit” or “faith,” and thus there was recognized opportunity to target an exploratory search on “the impact of ‘spirituality’ and ‘spiritual services’ on psychosocial outcomes.”…”

The impact of connectedness on social functioning in youth with brain tumors

“…Both connectedness and social functioning are elements that could potentially be fostered within a clinical setting. Indeed, the recent Standards for Psychosocial Care for Children with Cancer and Their Families strongly supported the need for consistent social interaction throughout cancer treatment as a means of promoting positive adjustment. By providing ample opportunities for social interaction—both with other cancer patients and helping patients maintain friendships with individuals at home—both connectedness and overall social functioning could be supported and strengthened.…”