Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Sep 15;47(9):1071-1080.
doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsac047.

Parental Experiences of Adolescent Cancer-Related Pain: A Qualitative Study

Charlotte Clews  1 , Cara Davis  1 , Maria Loades  1   2 , Abbie Jordan  1   3
Affiliations

Parental Experiences of Adolescent Cancer-Related Pain: A Qualitative Study

Charlotte Clews et al. J Pediatr Psychol. .

Abstract

Objective: Despite advancing medical treatments, pain remains a significant outcome of adolescent cancer, as both a problematic and distressing symptom. With adolescents spending substantial periods of time at home during cancer treatment, parents perceive themselves as central to the experience and management of adolescents' pain. The present study aimed to explore parental experiences of adolescent cancer-related pain during, and recently after, completing cancer treatment.

Methods: We interviewed 21 parents of adolescents (aged 12-18 years) with cancer, recruited through a hospital in South West England. Interviews were analyzed using reflexive inductive thematic analysis.

Results: Two themes were generated. The first theme, "Parental perceptions of being at the heart of pain management," focused on the role of parents in adolescents' pain journeys, and the vast knowledge they gained. The second, "Adapting and readjusting expectations," captured parents' journeys in learning to adjust their lives according to adolescents' pain and difficulties they faced throughout this process.

Conclusions: Findings highlighted parents' crucial role throughout adolescents' pain experiences; learning how to manage adolescents' pain, and supporting them with the detrimental impact on their lives. The findings emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to supporting families to manage pain. They also indicate a need for targeted research studies investigating parental experiences of adolescent cancer-related pain. This will help professionals understand how best to support parents and adolescents throughout the cancer journey and ultimately improve the physical and psychological outcomes of young people in the longer term.

Keywords: adolescent; cancer; cancer-related pain; pain management; parent experience; qualitative.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Alberts N. M., Gagnon M. M., Stinson J. N. (2018). Chronic pain in survivors of childhood cancer: A developmental model of pain across the cancer trajectory. Pain, 159(10), 1916–1927. - PubMed
    1. Ameringer S. (2010). Barriers to pain management among adolescents with cancer. Pain Management Nursing, 11(4), 224–233. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bagley H., Short H., Harman N., Hickey H., Gamble C., Woolfall K., Young B., Williamson P. (2016). A patient and public involvement (PPI) toolkit for meaningful and flexible involvement in clinical trials—A work in progress. Research Involvement and Engagement, 2(1), 15. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bashore L., Bender J. (2016). Evaluation of the utility of a transition workbook in preparing adolescent and young adult cancer survivors for transition to adult services: A pilot study. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 33(2), 111–118. - PubMed
    1. Björk M., Wiebe T., Hallström I. (2005). Striving to survive: Families’ lived experiences when a child is diagnosed with cancer. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 22(5), 265–275. - PubMed

Publication types