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Adolescents/young-adult (AYA) cancer patients are a psychosocially at-risk group as they are often less well-studied than other age cancer cohorts. Therefore, they experience disparities in access to developmentally informed treatment. Social support has been determined as an important aspect of AYAs’ cancer experience, but additional research was needed to describe specific behaviors AYAs found helpful and to explore how AYAs seek opportunities for additional support. As part of a larger qualitative study, study aims were to determine how AYAs (ages 15–26) cope during cancer treatment and examine how social support interacts with individual AYA coping. Participants included 10 AYA cancer patients undergoing treatment (mean age = 18.9 years) and 10 parents (mean age = 45.6 years). Descriptively, participants scored within the normal to high range on measures of hope, depression/anxiety/stress, quality of life, and social support. Participants completed semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews that were transcribed and coded as generated. Qualitative analysis was guided by principles of grounded theory and utilized the constant comparative approach. Themes within social support groups included presence, distraction, positive attitude, and maintaining AYA autonomy, communication, and advocacy. Results suggest social supports provide additional coping resources for AYAs with cancer through supplementing individual coping strategies. Future directions/implications for intervention/treatment are discussed.
Sarah Pennant; Simon C. Lee; Suzanne Holm; Kelli Triplett; Laura Howe-Martin; Ryan Campbell; Julie Germann. The Role of Social Support in Adolescent/Young Adults Coping with Cancer Treatment. Children 2019, 7, 2 .
AMA StyleSarah Pennant, Simon C. Lee, Suzanne Holm, Kelli Triplett, Laura Howe-Martin, Ryan Campbell, Julie Germann. The Role of Social Support in Adolescent/Young Adults Coping with Cancer Treatment. Children. 2019; 7 (1):2.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSarah Pennant; Simon C. Lee; Suzanne Holm; Kelli Triplett; Laura Howe-Martin; Ryan Campbell; Julie Germann. 2019. "The Role of Social Support in Adolescent/Young Adults Coping with Cancer Treatment." Children 7, no. 1: 2.
Objective To determine the pattern of resilience and adjustment following pediatric cancer diagnosis and to evaluate hope as a mediator of adjustment. Methods 61 participants with pediatric cancer completed measures of hope, depression, anxiety, and quality of life (QoL) within 4 weeks of cancer diagnosis and every 3 months for 1 year. Results Participants showed high and increasing levels of hope and QoL, as well as low and decreasing levels of depression and anxiety. Linear mixed-effects regression analyses revealed changes in depression, anxiety, and hope to be significant predictors of changes in QoL. Changes in hope were found to partially mediate the effects of depression and anxiety on QoL. Conclusions While a variety of interventions are efficacious for treating anxiety and depression, hope theory provides a framework for choosing interventions that may more globally promote children’s ability to maintain good functioning, adjustment, well-being, and QoL following cancer diagnosis.
Julie N. Germann; David Leonard; Thomas J. Stuenzi; Radu B. Pop; Sunita M. Stewart; Patrick J. Leavey. Hoping Is Coping: A Guiding Theoretical Framework for Promoting Coping and Adjustment Following Pediatric Cancer Diagnosis. Journal of Pediatric Psychology 2015, 40, 846 -855.
AMA StyleJulie N. Germann, David Leonard, Thomas J. Stuenzi, Radu B. Pop, Sunita M. Stewart, Patrick J. Leavey. Hoping Is Coping: A Guiding Theoretical Framework for Promoting Coping and Adjustment Following Pediatric Cancer Diagnosis. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2015; 40 (9):846-855.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJulie N. Germann; David Leonard; Thomas J. Stuenzi; Radu B. Pop; Sunita M. Stewart; Patrick J. Leavey. 2015. "Hoping Is Coping: A Guiding Theoretical Framework for Promoting Coping and Adjustment Following Pediatric Cancer Diagnosis." Journal of Pediatric Psychology 40, no. 9: 846-855.
Julie N. Germann; Sunita Stewart; Jane Levieux; Corinne Fribley; Thomas Stuenzi; Patrick Leavey. The Role of Hope with Psychological Adjustment and Quality of Life in a Pediatric Cancer Population. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics 2010, 31, E7 .
AMA StyleJulie N. Germann, Sunita Stewart, Jane Levieux, Corinne Fribley, Thomas Stuenzi, Patrick Leavey. The Role of Hope with Psychological Adjustment and Quality of Life in a Pediatric Cancer Population. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. 2010; 31 (Abstracts):E7.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJulie N. Germann; Sunita Stewart; Jane Levieux; Corinne Fribley; Thomas Stuenzi; Patrick Leavey. 2010. "The Role of Hope with Psychological Adjustment and Quality of Life in a Pediatric Cancer Population." Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics 31, no. Abstracts: E7.