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Research Article: A Conceptual Model Depicting How Children Are Affected by Parental Cancer: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Approach

Date Published: 2023-09-04

Abstract:
Cancer patients’ children are vulnerable to psychosocial and behavioural issues. The mechanisms underlying how children are affected by their parent’s diagnosis are unknown, warranting further research. This study investigated how children are affected by their parent’s cancer diagnosis and provides a theoretical model conceptualising this experience. Informed by methods of grounded theory, embedded within a social constructivist framework, 38 informants (15 health professionals (HPs); 11 parents; 12 children (5 to 17 years)) were interviewed using a semi-structured format. Three themes were identified: (i) children were worried and distressed because they felt alone, (ii) parents were unable to tend to children’s needs because they were overwhelmed by practical factors, and (iii) HPs were not detecting children due to barriers that affected their visibility in clinical settings. The proposed Alexander’s Children’s Cancer Communication (ACCC) Model and clinical recommendations made can be used to guide the clinical practice and development of future intervention research.

Introduction:
Globally, the number of dependent children living with a parent with a cancer diagnosis remains unreported. However, estimates in the United States indicate that in 2010 there were approximately 2.85 million children aged 18 years and under whose parent had been diagnosed with cancer [1]. In Australia, there are currently no population data regarding the prevalence and characteristics of children living with parental cancer, though a recent longitudinal study conducted in Western Australia (WA) reported that…

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