Abstract
ABSTRACT Purpose To explore the experiences of adolescents with a sibling suffering from cancer from a salutogenic health promotion perspective. Methods Seven female siblings aged 13–17 years were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and subjected to qualitative content analysis. Results The analysis findings adhered largely to one main theme: new challenges and needs in everyday life, consisting of the two domains cancer into life and helpful resources to cope. Categories related to the cancer into life domain were new routines and concerns, fear, loneliness, and growing up. Helpful resources to cope were categorized as support from others, understanding, faith and hope, and normal activities. Conclusion Prominent in the siblings’ descriptions were the challenging changes in everyday life including difficult feelings such as loneliness, and a need for understanding. Social support appeared as a crucial salutogenic coping resource to achieve understanding, faith and hope, and identity—crucial spheres to achieve meaning in life. This study has demonstrated the significance of salutogenesis in a new setting, and the findings could be of relevance to teachers and health professionals consulting with the siblings of children with cancer. Further research should be conducted to pinpoint concrete health-promoting measures that might benefit this group.
Highlights
Each year, 215,000 children and adolescents aged 0–18 years are diagnosed with cancers worldwide
The national guidelines for school health services strongly recommend that school nurses are made aware of exposed children and adolescents, and severe illness in the family is mentioned as a life event that might cause mental problems (The Norwegian Directorate of Health, 2018)
The informants stated that social support was a crucial resource to achieve understanding, faith and hope, and identity, which were important coping resources for them
Summary
215,000 children and adolescents aged 0–18 years are diagnosed with cancers worldwide. In Europe, 80% of these children survive (World Health Organization &; International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2016), after a comprehensive treatment with many side effects. Many children and adolescents live with a sister or a brother who is undergoing or has finished cancer treatment. Siblings’ needs are mentioned in the Norwegian Government’s strategy for adolescents’ health (Ministry of Health and Care Services, 2016), and in national guidelines dealing with palliative care for children and adolescents (The Norwegian Directorate of Health, 2016), and caring for next-of-kin (The Norwegian Directorate of Health, 2015). The national guidelines for school health services strongly recommend that school nurses are made aware of exposed children and adolescents, and severe illness in the family is mentioned as a life event that might cause mental problems (The Norwegian Directorate of Health, 2018)
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