My mind is still mine: a self-portrait in a photography project for adolescents and young adults with cancer

BMC Palliat Care. 2021 Jul 14;20(1):107. doi: 10.1186/s12904-021-00789-0.

Abstract

This commentary describes the unusual self-portrait contributed by a 26-year-old receiving treatment for relapsing medulloblastoma to a photography project undertaken by a group of patients as part of the Youth Project, a scheme dedicated to young cancer patients with the dual aim of optimizing medical aspects of their care and promoting a holistic approach to their needs. The article briefly describes how creative projects can play an important part in giving young people with cancer new ways to tell their stories and express their feelings. There is still a limited understanding of the specific needs of adolescents and young adults with cancer, and it is important to draw attention to them and to the need to devise a person-centered approach to cancer patients in this age group.

Keywords: Adolescents; Art; Cancer; Photography; Psychological support; Youth Project.

Publication types

  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Photography
  • Young Adult