Parents living with and beyond cancer: A scoping review of unmet supportive care needs and impact on daily life

Abstract

Introduction: Parenting is a valued and complex role that is shaped by culture and context, which can be significantly impacted by a cancer diagnosis. This scoping review explored the unmet supportive care needs and impact on daily life for parents living with and beyond cancer. Methods: We used the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) reporting guidelines to conduct a scoping review of the literature. Peer-reviewed literature published between January 2006 and December 2021 was searched using five databases: CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Results: A total of 47 articles were included in the review representing 14 countries. Unmet supportive care needs persist across physical, spiritual, psychological, social, informational, practical, emotional domains, regardless of cancer diagnosis, stage of cancer or phase of the cancer care continuum. These unmet needs significantly impacted the daily lives of mothers and fathers living with and beyond cancer throughout studies. Conclusion: The results from this review highlight the range of reported supportive care needs of parents and its impact potentially contributing to occupational disruption. This provides a unique opportunity for occupational therapy practitioners to contribute to the occupational needs of parents living with and beyond cancer as an integral member of the interprofessional cancer care team.