Abstract
ObjectiveIn this qualitative study, we aimed to provide an in-depth exploration of cancer-related psychological distress experienced by young survivors of cancer during adolescence reporting a need for psychological support.MethodsTwo individual interviews were held with ten young survivors of cancer diagnosed in adolescence. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis followed the guidelines for inductive qualitative manifest content analysis.ResultsThe survivors described distress experienced during and after the end of treatment. Five categories comprising 14 subcategories were generated. The categories included: A tough treatment, Marked and hindered, Not feeling good enough, Struggling with the fragility of life, and finally, An ongoing battle with emotions.ConclusionYoung survivors of adolescent cancer reporting a need for psychological support described feeling physically, socially, and mentally marked by the cancer experience. They struggled with powerlessness, insecurity, social disconnection, loneliness, and feelings of being unimportant and a failure, and had difficulties understanding and managing their experiences. These concerns should be addressed in psychological treatments for the population irrespective of which approach or model is used to understand survivors’ difficulties. A trans-diagnostic approach targeting processes that underpin different manifestations of distress may be effective.
Highlights
A cancer diagnosis during adolescence infers physical, emotional, existential, and social cancer-related stressors while at the same time managing developmental changes and experiences associated with preparation for adulthood [1]
To the best of our knowledge, there is a lack of studies that explore psychological distress experienced by young survivors of cancer diagnosed during adolescence reporting a need for psychological treatment
The study was conducted as part of an open trial in which we developed a cognitive behavioural conceptualisation of psychological distress related to adolescent cancer and tested the feasibility of individualised face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for this distress, of which the primary outcomes have not yet been reported
Summary
A cancer diagnosis during adolescence infers physical, emotional, existential, and social cancer-related stressors while at the same time managing developmental changes and experiences associated with preparation for adulthood [1]. Adolescence is considered a critical period characterised by key developmental challenges including movement toward independence, development of identity and relationship skills, and increased awareness of morals and values [3]. The first onset of several mental disorders typically occurs during adolescence [4], social contexts and peer and parent interactions appear to play significant roles in the development of psychological morbidity during this period [5]. Given this combination of stress exposure and developmental vulnerability, there is a need to pay attention to the needs of persons diagnosed with cancer during adolescence [6]
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