The impact of cancer on healthy siblings.

Goreti Marques,Beatriz Araújo,Luís Sá

doi:10.1590/0034-7167-2016-0449

Abstract

The objective is to identify the variables that influence the impact of cancer on healthy siblings. This is a quantitative, descriptive and correlational study with 83 families of children with cancer. We used the "Questionnaire to Assess the Impact of the Children's Cancer on the Family", "Social Support Satisfaction Scale", "Graffar Scale" and "Apgar Scale". The results show a relation between social support (X²=5.031, gl=1, p=0.025), expenses (t=-2.009, gl=81, p=0.048), disease impact on family structure (t=-3.210, gl=81, p=0.002) and the impact of the disease on healthy siblings. Social support plays an important role in these families, especially in the impact of the disease on healthy siblings. Nurses should identify the support systems that families have available, as well as their family functionality and the implications for healthy siblings.

Highlights

IntroductionCancer does affect the sick child and the entire family
OBJECTIVECancer does affect the sick child and the entire family
We found that the impact of the disease on healthy siblings is significantly associated with “expenses with the sick child”, “social support” and “impact on family structure”

Summary

Introduction

Cancer does affect the sick child and the entire family. This pathology occurs in a family system, producing negative effects on the functioning of the system and on each of its elements. Healthy siblings need to adapt to the disease, and to a whole set of changes in their daily routines, which can lead them to experience family separations and a decrease in social contact with parents and their sick sibling(4). The long periods of hospitalization of sick children in hospitals often away from the area of residence emphasize a decrease in communication between siblings and parents, which may hinder the process of adaptation of healthy siblings to the disease(5). Adaptation can be facilitated when these children come from extended families and/or from families with a higher socioeconomic level(2)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion