Parental handling of fear in children with cancer; caring in the best interests of the child

Agneta Anderzén-Carlsson; Mona Kihlgren; Mia Svantesson; Venke Sorlie

doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2008.10.004

Parental handling of fear in children with cancer; caring in the best interests of the child

J Pediatr Nurs. 2010 Oct;25(5):317-26. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2008.10.004. Epub 2009 Apr 8.

Authors

Agneta Anderzén-Carlsson¹, Mona Kihlgren, Mia Svantesson, Venke Sorlie

Affiliation

¹ Centre for Health Care Sciences, Orebro University Hospital, P.O. Box 1324, Orebro, Sweden. agneta.anderzen-carlsson@hi.oru.se

PMID: 20816553
DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2008.10.004

Abstract

The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how parents of children with cancer handle the fear in their children. Fifteen parents of 11 children participated in focus-group interviews. Data were analyzed by a phenomenological hermeneutical method. The results suggest that the parents' handling was equivalent with caring in the best interests of the child. This included striving for the security and well-being of the child up to a certain point where the parents instead used their authority to maintain the child's physical health rather than trying to prevent or relieve the child's fear.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adaptation, Psychological
Adolescent
Caregivers / psychology*
Child
Child, Preschool
Empathy
Fear*
Female
Focus Groups
Humans
Interviews as Topic*
Male
Neoplasms / nursing
Neoplasms / psychology*
Neoplasms / therapy
Parent-Child Relations*
Parents / psychology*
Stress, Psychological
Sweden