Abstract
PurposeGiven the large number of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) impacted by parental cancer and the potential for negative psychosocial outcomes in this vulnerable population, this study examined the mediating role of offspring unmet needs with regard to parental cancer and the relation between AYAs psychosocial adjustment and perceived illness unpredictability.MethodsA total of 113 AYAs (aged 11–24 years) living with a parent diagnosed with cancer completed a questionnaire assessing illness unpredictability, offspring unmet needs, and psychosocial adjustment (i.e., health-related quality of life and internalizing problems).ResultsHigher offspring unmet needs were associated with lower health-related quality of life (r = –0.24**) and higher internalizing problems (r = 0.21*). Offspring unmet needs mediated the relation between illness unpredictability and health-related quality of life (standardized indirect effect = –0.100* [–0.183, –0.018]) but not internalizing problems (standardized indirect effect = 0.067 [–0.015, 0.148]). In particular, higher illness unpredictability was related to higher unmet needs (β = 0.351**) which, in turn, predicted lower health-related quality of life (β = –0.286**).ConclusionThese findings identify offspring unmet needs and illness unpredictability as implicated in AYAs positive psychosocial adjustment to parental cancer. Given that AYAs are at greater risk of elevated psychosocial difficulties, interventions should target offspring unmet needs and perception of illness unpredictability to mitigate the adverse effects of parental cancer.
Highlights
20 and 64 years; childbearing and parenting years are widespread periods to receive a parental cancer diagnosis [2]
The aims of this study were as follows: (1a) to analyze the relationship between levels of unmet needs in AYAs and their psychosocial adjustment as well as (1b) to explore the impact of demographic and cancer variables on level of offspring unmet needs and (2) to investigate the mediating role of unmet needs in the relationship between illness unpredictability and psychosocial adjustment in AYAs
Our study has underlined that higher offspring unmet needs are associated with lower levels of health-related quality of life and internalizing problems and that higher levels of illness unpredictability are related to higher unmet needs
Summary
20 and 64 years; childbearing and parenting years are widespread periods to receive a parental cancer diagnosis [2]. Worldwide, the prevalence of offspring affected by parental cancer is increasing, because cancer survival rates have increased by about 20% rise in the last 5 years [6], and because parents are conceiving children at an older age. Information about my parent’s cancer - This domain refers to offspring having access to information about their parent’s cancer and the need for conveying this information in a way understandable to them (e.g., “to get information about my parent’s cancer in a way that I can understand”). - This domain refers to the need for offspring to feel supported by their families and to communicate openly and honestly with them about parental cancer (e.g., “to feel that I can talk openly with my family about my parent’s cancer”). It includes having access to professional support services (e.g., “assistance with looking after my parent with cancer”)
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