Pancreatic cancer entails poor prognosis and high physical and psychosocial burden for patients and their caregivers. Supportive care needs remain insufficiently addressed. This study aimed to identify supportive care needs and potential directions for future research based on perspectives of patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. A qualitative design was applied using focus group interviews. Participants were patients with pancreatic cancer receiving chemotherapy ((neo)adjuvant and palliative), caregivers, and HCPs (oncologists, nurses, physiotherapists, and dieticians). Six focus group interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Identified themes were categorized, described and translated into potential research questions. Nine patients, eight caregivers, and eight health care professionals participated. Twenty-one themes were identified, organized, and consolidated into 10 themes representing patient and caregiver needs. These included: 1) Nutritional guidance beyond generic advice, 2) Information and guidance for self-management of side effects, 3) Supporting caregivers' self-care, 4) Clear information on treatment trajectory and prognosis, 5) Peer support and network, 6) Support for exercise, 7) Existential support, 8) Support and facilitation of family communication, 9) Navigating the treatment trajectory, and 10) Supporting energy management. These themes informed the development of exploratory and interventional research questions intended to guide future supportive care research. The findings highlight a broad range of supportive care needs among patients with pancreatic cancer and their caregivers. While exploratory in nature, the study identifies potential areas for future research and underscores the importance of addressing caregiver burden and family communication within supportive care interventions.

Digital interventions are potentially promising to improve accessibility and efficiency of genetic counseling services. However, current literature on user perspectives toward digital tools for cascade testing is limited. Therefore, this focus-group study aimed to gain insights into the attitude and perspectives of probands, at-risk relatives (ARR), and genetic healthcare professionals (HCP) toward digital innovations for assistance with both pretest and posttest counseling and cascade genetic testing in cardiogenetics. We conducted seven online focus groups, which were transcribed and thematically analyzed. In total, 37 individuals participated (10 probands, 11 ARR and 16 HCP). Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts showed a first theme of (1) acceptability of digital tools. Other identified themes were defined as "domains," where digital tools impact traditional, in-person clinical genetic care, being (2) family communication, (3) decision-making, (4) care relations, and (5) the genetic care system. Participants expressed a predominantly positive attitude toward the digitization of (parts of) the predictive genetic counseling journey in cardiogenetics under the condition that access to human contact is preserved. In the clinical setting of predictive counseling, efforts should be made to ensure access to genetic services for all ARR and to protect in-person involvement of HCP.

Pediatric surgeons face substantial administrative workload. Large language models (LLMs) may streamline documentation, family communication, rapid reference, and education, but raise concerns about accuracy, bias, and privacy. This review summarizes practical, near-term uses with clinician oversight. Narrative review of LLMs in pediatric surgical workflows and scholarly writing. Sources included MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, and policy documents (WHO, FDA, EU). Searches spanned January 2015 to August 2025, English only. Peer-reviewed and multicenter studies were prioritized; selected high-signal preprints were labeled. Data screening and extraction were performed by the author; findings were synthesized qualitatively. Across studies, LLMs reduced drafting time for discharge letters and operative note registries while maintaining clinician-rated quality; they improved readability of consent forms and postoperative instructions and supported patient education. For decision support, general models performed well on structured medical questions, with stronger results when grounded by retrieval. Common limits included coding performance, case-nuance/temporal reasoning, variable translation outside high-resource languages, and citation fabrication without curated sources. Privacy risks stemmed from logging, rare-string memorization, and poorly scoped tool connections. Recommended controls included a clinician-in-the-loop "review and release" workflow, privacy-preserving deployments, version pinning, and ongoing monitoring aligned with early-evaluation guidance. When outputs are grounded in structured EHR data or curated retrieval and briefly reviewed by clinicians, LLMs can responsibly reduce administrative burden and support communication and education. Early adoption should target high-volume, low-risk, auditable tasks. Future priorities must include multicenter pediatric datasets, transparent benchmarks (accuracy, calibration, equity, time saved), and prospective studies linked to safety outcomes.

Purpose Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are invisible disabilities that cause progressive vision loss. Living with an IRD impacts life beyond visual impairment, requiring adaptation to shifting identity and social roles. This study investigated the barriers and facilitators people with IRDs face in communicating about their condition and needs. Methods Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 16 individuals with IRDs (aged 20–69 years) and 5 family members. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Results Five key themes were identified describing communication challenges across various relationships and social contexts: (1) clinician communication, highlighting the impact of interactions with healthcare professionals; (2) intrinsic barriers from participants’ own feelings coming to terms with their diagnosis; (3) family communication, influenced by family dynamics and their personal experience with the condition; (4) comprehension gap, capturing others’ misconceptions of vision loss as a spectrum and an invisible disability; and (5) disclosing vision loss, describing decisions about when and how to share an IRD diagnosis with others. Conclusions Support for individuals with vision loss requires coordinated action across multiple networks, including clinician education, accessible mental health services for individuals and carers, and efforts to improve societal understanding of the experience of vision loss.

ABSTRACT This study aims to understand tri-generational familial communication patterns among grandmothers, mothers, and granddaughters experiencing reproductive health transitions from menarche to menopause within the Latine community. Using the managing meanings of embodied experiences (MMEE) theory as both a methodological and theoretical framework, we examined and thematized familial communication patterns influenced by embodied, cultural, biomedical, and societal factors, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of reproductive health transitions. the MMEE theory effectively explores how identity formation (being), health-related actions (doing), and personal growth (becoming) are shaped by intergenerational dialogs and cultural values, thus offering deep insights into Latine community narratives of agency and empowerment amid reproductive health challenges. Our findings highlight how women’s reproductive health experiences, such as menstruation, menopause, and fertility, are deeply intertwined with sense of self, cultural beliefs, and familial relationships, aligning with MMEE theory’s themes of being (attending to bodily signals during embodied changes), doing (favoring traditional medicine over conventional medicine), and becoming (transforming societal limitations into resiliency with familial and community support). This research provides several potential practical applications for healthcare providers who desire to increase their cultural competencies in health care, including integrating diverse, inclusive, and equitable health interventions to better serve patients from culturally diverse backgrounds transitioning through reproductive health milestones.

This study explores Italian nurses' preferences and views regarding the disclosure and sharing of genetic risk information within families, focusing on their genetic literacy and responsibility, and comparing these perspectives with laypeople. A nested cross-sectional online survey, originally designed for the general population, included three hypothetical scenarios of inherited genetic risk (Cystic Fibrosis, Hereditary Cancer Syndromes, and early-onset Alzheimer's disease) and items assessing genetic literacy (awareness), family cohesion, disclosure preferences, and responsibility. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially, and qualitative responses were analyzed inductively using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Among the 1,302 respondents, 501 were healthcare professionals (HCPs), including 315 nurses. Their genetic literacy was modest (mean 2.5/4), higher than laypeople's, with no differences by age or education. Nearly all (94.9%) wished to be informed of genetic risk for at least one condition, with 75.9% preferring to be informed for all three, similar to laypeople (78.1%). Most (97.8%) would undergo genetic testing if informed (95.6% of laypeople). Responsibility for disclosure was viewed as shared between relatives and HCPs (39.1%) or by everyone involved (themselves, relatives and HCPs) (25.1%), echoing laypeople's views. Qualitative findings from the few who did not wish to be informed (n = 16) emphasized anxiety, psychological self-protection, and scepticism toward predictive medicine, similar to laypeople. Italian nurses expressed views and preferences similar to laypeople. While they valued receiving genetic risk information and HCP involvement in family communication, limited familiarity with clinical applications of genetic testing highlights a gap in nursing education and practice, with implications for targeted training.

ABSTRACT This article reviews the historical and recent approaches to understanding memorable messages in the context of families. Theoretical and atheoretical approaches to memorable message research are explored, with special attention to the emerging Theory of Memorable Messages (ToMM) and its recent family communication scholarship. The authors elaborate and offer recommendations for future directions and practical applications for ToMM scholarship in the family.

ABSTRACT Refugee adolescents experience displacement and resettlement-related stressors that increase risk of poor psychosocial outcomes. This study aimed to understand the factors influencing the psychosocial adjustment of recently resettled refugee adolescents in Hamilton, Canada, drawing on the perspectives and lived experiences of adolescents themselves as well as service providers. We conducted virtual semi-structured interviews with 11 refugee adolescents aged 13–17 years old and 33 service providers from 14 organizations supporting refugee and immigrant communities in Hamilton. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes and results from the service provider and adolescent interviews were reviewed to identify areas of convergence and dissonance. We identified four major themes related to the psychosocial adjustment of refugee adolescents: (1) social and material stressors including language barriers, discrimination, and economic insecurity; (2) trauma and family conflict; (3) relationships and recreation as protective resources; and (4) faith and hope for the future. Unlike adolescent participants who emphasized the positive role of caregivers and family in providing psychosocial support, service providers highlighted family conflict and communication gaps as sources of psychological distress. Results underscore the importance of strengthening protective resources at different ecological levels – from the family to the school and community – to promote positive psychosocial adjustment among recently resettled refugee adolescents. Bolstering these resources through culturally tailored family strengthening and school- and community-based interventions will help to ensure refugee youth can thrive in their new lives.

Research examining family relationships in families with autistic members remains limited, and integrative frameworks that translate evidence into family focused practice are scarce. Existing interventions often prioritise individual symptom management rather than strengthening family relationships and connectedness. This article presents an evidence informed practice model designed to enhance relationships and connectedness in families of autistic adolescents, grounded in systems theory. The model draws on qualitative research with 44 participants from 18 families, including autistic adolescents, parents and siblings. Family relationship experiences and dynamics were explored, with seven key findings informing the conceptual framework and practice model. Disruptive factors such as stress, conflict, caregiver burden and challenges in relating contributed to withdrawal and disconnection, while connective factors including communication, teamwork, routines and shared positive experiences supported bonding. The practice model comprises six elements and is guided by ten principles across family structure, roles, communication and adaptive patterns. This model addresses gaps in holistic family support and offers practitioners evidence informed, family centred strategies that build on strengths while addressing relational challenges.

This commentary responds to the views of King and colleagues (King, Billieux, Behm, & Delfabbro, 2025) on boundaries between normal and disordered gaming. Drawing on clinical experience with adolescents and families in treatment for problematic gaming, we argue for multidimensional assessment that embeds diagnosis within relational and contextual understanding. Overreliance on time spent gaming or self-report tools obscures functional impairment and family dynamics. Evidence from systemic therapy (STANDUP) indicates that improved family communication reduces gaming-related conflict without necessarily reducing gaming time. We propose viewing diagnosis as a collaborative working hypothesis, fostering dialogue rather than division between clinicians, families, and researchers.

Developing a family-centered psychoeducational program to support adults with diabetes: A theory-driven approach.

Caregivers manage complex demands with little support, contributing to significant psychological distress. Though caregiver-focused supportive care is scarce, this type of psychosocial support enhances well-being and caregiving ability. Given the caregiver support gap, we developed an online, self-directed intervention (Healthy Communication Practice) to reduce caregivers' distress by enhancing their online, clinical, and family communication skills. It was first developed for adult children of parents with blood cancer. We previously established the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention in partnership with Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society). This proof-of-concept analysis examined the impact of Healthy Communication Practice on adult-child caregivers' distress and secondary psychosocial outcomes. Participants were adult-child caregivers of parents with blood cancer diagnosed at least 3months prior and in treatment or completed treatment within a year. Outcomes were assessed pre-, immediate-post, and 3-month post-intervention using paired t-tests to analyze pre- and post-intervention differences. Participants (N=55) were aged 18-59, mostly female (76%) and white (78%). Caregivers experienced reduced distress between pre-intervention and 3-month post completion as well as increased positive meaning associated with their caregiving role between pre-intervention to 3-month post completion. Communication skills in each care domain (online, clinical, and family communication) increased between pre- and 3-month post completion. Results provide proof-of-concept evidence that the Healthy Communication Practice can enhance caregivers' psychological well-being and caregiving communication skills. Results further demonstrate a sustainable, innovative communication-focused approach to providing caregiver-targeted supportive care that can also be widely disseminated, thus warranting further evaluation.

Background. This study assesses family communication patterns among undergraduate MBBS students at Liaquat National Medical College (LNMC), Karachi, Pakistan, and explores their impact on mental well-being and academic performance. Family communication patterns, comprising conversation and conformity orientations, play a critical role in interpersonal relationships and student development.Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2022 to July 2024 with a sample of 365 students selected through non-probability convenience sampling; students present on data collection days were invited to participate. A self-administered questionnaire adapted from the Revised Family Communication Pattern (RFCP) instrument by Fitzpatrick and Koerner was used. The questionnaire was validated for the Pakistani population through a pilot study (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.82 for conversation orientation and 0.79 for conformity orientation), confirming its reliability. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22, employing t-tests and chi-square tests. Likert scale scores were interpreted using validated cutoffs (conversation orientation: ≥59 high, ≤58 low; conformity orientation: ≥21 high, ≤20 low). Results. Of the 400 students invited, 365 participated (response rate: 91.25%), while 35 absent students were excluded. Absent students did not differ significantly from participants in terms of gender, age, or semester (p > 0.05). Most participants (66%) exhibited low conversation orientation, and 94% showed high conformity orientation, indicating that protective family types were predominant (63%) (Table 1). Female students had higher conversation orientation scores (p = 0.03), whereas male students had higher conformity orientation scores (p = 0.04).Conclusion. The high prevalence of protective family communication patterns suggests a need for targeted interventions, such as psycho-educational programs and family therapy workshops, to foster open communication. These interventions may enhance students’ emotional well-being, interpersonal skills, and resilience.

Life beyond diagnosis: The psychosocial experiences of individuals with a sibling with autism: A qualitative study.

To explore healthcare personnel's (HCP) lived experiences of caring for dying newborns and supporting bereaved parents in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), drawing on relational, ethical and organisational factors. Qualitative study using hermeneutic phenomenology. Semistructured, in-depth interviews analysed thematically to interpret the meanings embedded in participants' narratives. Three tertiary NICUs in the UK. Eight female HCP (five nurses, three doctors) with 3-20 years' (median=12 years) NICU experience. Experiences were strongly shaped by temporality and clinical trajectory. Expected deaths (gradual decline) enabled preparation, continuity of carer and opportunities for closeness and memory-making, whereas unexpected deaths (sudden deterioration) heightened moral distress, complicated communication and constrained what could be offered to families. Four themes described how optimal experiences were pursued: (1) facilitating parent-infant closeness, (2) providing comprehensive family support, (3) communication and interpersonal engagement and (4) an emotionally intense experience for HCPs.The study revealed an overarching phenomenon-creating an optimal experience for parents as an implicit coping mechanism for HCP. As they cared for a dying newborn and its family, it helped them achieve a sense of accomplishment as well as the strength to power through the distress and anguish. The study highlights the relational foundation of neonatal end-of-life care, showing that HCPs' well-being and quality of parental support and care provided are closely linked. Recognising this interdependence may inform training, supervision and organisational design to strengthen compassionate and sustainable NICU bereavement care.

Childhood cancer profoundly alters family dynamics, concentrating emotional and institutional resources on the affected child while generating symbolic and relational losses for healthy siblings that often remain invisible to healthcare systems. This systematic review examines disenfranchized grief among siblings of children with cancer, a population underrepresented in pediatric psycho-oncology. Following PRISMA 2020, a systematic search (2020–2025) was conducted in PubMed and ProQuest. Twelve empirical studies were included, examining the emotional experiences of healthy siblings during the illness, excluding post-death bereavement. Siblings showed elevated psychological distress, including anxiety, stress, guilt, and emotional suppression, associated with ambiguous loss, disrupted family routines, reduced parental emotional availability, and limited social recognition. Emotional validation, open family communication, and psychosocial support emerged as protective factors. Findings highlight the need for a systemic, sibling-inclusive approach in Pediatric Psycho-Oncology, including structured psychosocial risk screening to enable early identification, intervention, and prevention of long-term psychological sequelae.

Family communication is an important aspect in shaping individual character, values, and identity, especially in Asian families that are known to have a communication pattern based on obedience and collectivism values. The film Turning Red represents the dynamics of Asian family communication through the conflict between the demands of family traditions and the needs of adolescent self-expression. This study aims to analyze the meaning of Asian family communication shown in the film through Roland Barthes' semiotic approach, including the meaning of denotations, connotations, and myths, and examine family communication patterns based on the concept of Family Communication Patterns, namely conformity orientation and conversation orientation. This study uses a qualitative method with semiotic analysis techniques on selected scenes that depict the family interaction of the main character. The results of the study show that Asian family communication in this film represents the dominance of the values of parental obedience, family control over children, and the process of negotiating adolescent identity in the family. In addition, it was found that open communication can be a solution in alleviating family conflicts. The conclusion of this study shows that the film Turning Red is not only an entertainment medium, but also represents the reality of Asian family communication which is full of cultural values, social pressures, and the importance of a balance between obedience and open communication within the family

This phenomenological qualitative study explores the challenges and coping mechanisms encountered by social science educators in higher education institutions who experienced residing far from home and aims to provide coping mechanisms strategies to educators in higher education institutions living far from home. Participants of the study were ten (10) social science educators in higher education institutions residing far from home and who have experienced living far from home while teaching in Ilocos Sur, Philippines. The methodology used in the study utilized written phenomenological narratives in gathering necessary data for the study. Utilizing Braun and Clarke (2006) thematic analysis procedures, findings of the study revealed various challenges including; emotional and social adjustment, practical and relational struggles due to distance, and work–life imbalances. This study also presented different coping mechanisms used by the participants in managing homesickness, burnout, and loneliness due to distance. These different strategies encompass family communication via video calls, building surrogate networks with colleagues and friends, leisure activities like walking and traveling, established routines for independence, and introspective practices such as journaling and faith. Findings highlights the resilience of educators residing far from home and this recommends institutional support programs, flexible arrangements, activities that fosters healthy relationships in workplaces, and trainings for cultural adaptation—which enhances emotional fortitude and job satisfaction among educators in the academe. In conclusion, the study proved that despite the challenges brought by distance encountered by social science educators in higher education institutions who are teaching far from home, they still thrive and trained to have long-term emotional fortitude, and promote job satisfaction despite the high level of stress in the workplace due to high demand of work. Hence, it is recommended in the study that schools must also implement activities that will enhance peer support among their colleagues. Additionally, schools must also consider flexible work arrangements that will help manage work-life balance.

Modifiable unhealthy behaviors account for over two-thirds of new cases of noncommunicable diseases. Behavioral risk factor reduction is a potentially cost-effective means to improve long-term health outcomes. Although family serves as a pivotal cornerstone for fostering and maintaining individuals' health, the associations between family health (FH) and the proactive health risk management index (PHRMI) remain unclear. This study aimed to construct a comprehensive index to measure the PHRMI and examine the mediating effect of health literacy on the association between FH and the PHRMI, as well as the moderating effect of family communication on the associations among the PHRMI, health literacy, and FH. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted with 30,044 participants from 34 provinces or regions in China who were recruited using a multistage stratified sampling strategy from June 20, 2023, to August 31, 2023. This study constructed the PHRMI for the general population by encompassing BMI, physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), sleep quality (Brief version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), smoking behavior, and drinking behavior. Further, we assessed FH (Short Form of the Family Health Scale), health literacy (Short-Form Health Literacy Questionnaire-4), and family communication (Family Communication Scale-Short Form). In addition, we collected the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. We used model 4 of the IBM SPSS macro PROCESS to verify the mediating effect of health literacy between FH and the PHRMI, while model 7 was adopted to test the moderated mediation of family communication among the PHRMI, health literacy, and FH. Higher levels of FH were significantly associated with higher PHRMI levels (β=.710, 95% CI 0.669-0.752). Health literacy significantly mediated the association between FH and the PHRMI (β=.207, 95% CI 0.168-0.245), playing a partial mediating role. Family communication significantly moderated the association between FH and health literacy (β=.117, 95% CI 0.105-0.130). The simple slope analysis showed that higher levels of family communication exacerbated the effects of FH on health literacy. Subsequently, we performed a sensitivity analysis, and the main results aligned with the findings of prior studies. Nevertheless, the subgroup analysis revealed that the mediating effect of health literacy was not significant in the group aged >60 years (β=.066, 95% CI -0.024 to 0.157). FH can be an important target that appears to be positively linked to proactive health risk management and health literacy. FH promotion for older adults should pay more attention to family or intergenerational communication.

Abstract Objective This study examined the impact of age on time perception and the use of social networking sites (SNSs), together with the role these factors play in family communication and social support. Background Drawing on socioemotional selectivity theory, which examines changes in the prioritization of emotionally meaningful relationships with age, this study integrated this perspective with current research on SNS usage. Facebook was chosen as the SNS due to its accessibility to multiple generations of users. Method An online survey of 172 younger (20–34 years old) and 117 older (65+ years old) Facebook users in the United States was conducted. Results Analysis revealed that younger adults considered time to be open‐ended, whereas older adults perceived it to be limited. Facebook use significantly enhanced family communication and social support, especially in older adults, where increased interaction with family on the platform was associated with greater perceived support—despite a negative direct relationship between age and social support. Conclusion This study demonstrated that age‐related shifts in time perception shape online social networks, where older adults formed family‐centered connections on Facebook that enhanced communication and social support. Implications The findings of this study have important implications for the understanding of age‐related SNS use and intergenerational communication via SNSs.