TY - JOUR
T1 - Living With an Advanced Cancer While Parenting Minor Children
T2 - A Needs Assessment Study
AU - Whisenant, Meagan
AU - Jones, Morgan
AU - Ann-Yi, Sujin
AU - Necroto, Victoria
AU - Skrljac, Ashley
AU - Bruera, Eduardo
AU - Milbury, Kathrin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
PY - 2023/8
Y1 - 2023/8
N2 - Background: Evidence-based interventions addressing the needs of couples co-parenting young children while facing an advanced cancer diagnosis are lacking. Thus, this study seeks to identify parenting-related intervention needs and delivery preferences of advanced cancer patients and their spouses/co-parents. Methods: Twenty-one couples completed quantitative measures of cancer-related parenting concerns, relationship and family functioning, and service needs along with individual semi-structured interviews. Results: Patients (mean age=44 years, 48% female, 91% White) and spouses (mean age=45 years, 52% female, 91% White) reported family distress (62% of couples) and marital distress (29% of couples). Parenting concerns were generally high with patients revealing concerns particularly regarding the practical impact of the cancer on the child(ren). Spouses rated concerns about the co-parent significantly higher (P<.001) than patients. Parenting concerns were inversely associated with relationship (P<.001 for patients; P=.03 for spouses) and family functioning (P<.001 for patients). Themes identified through qualitative interviews include needs related to maintenance of family routines and traditions, childcare, transportation, meals, home maintenance, and finances. Couples who endorsed marital distress also indicated a need for conflict resolution skills. All patients and 89% of spouses would like to receive parenting-related education/services; up to 50% of couples preferred targeted, self-led readings without therapist support; and up to 50% desired counseling sessions indicating a preference towards dyadic and video conferenced intervention delivery. Conclusions: The delivery of optimal supportive care involves a family-focused perspective such as screening for parenting status and referrals to social work services to address the need of tangible resources and manage parenting-related distress.
AB - Background: Evidence-based interventions addressing the needs of couples co-parenting young children while facing an advanced cancer diagnosis are lacking. Thus, this study seeks to identify parenting-related intervention needs and delivery preferences of advanced cancer patients and their spouses/co-parents. Methods: Twenty-one couples completed quantitative measures of cancer-related parenting concerns, relationship and family functioning, and service needs along with individual semi-structured interviews. Results: Patients (mean age=44 years, 48% female, 91% White) and spouses (mean age=45 years, 52% female, 91% White) reported family distress (62% of couples) and marital distress (29% of couples). Parenting concerns were generally high with patients revealing concerns particularly regarding the practical impact of the cancer on the child(ren). Spouses rated concerns about the co-parent significantly higher (P<.001) than patients. Parenting concerns were inversely associated with relationship (P<.001 for patients; P=.03 for spouses) and family functioning (P<.001 for patients). Themes identified through qualitative interviews include needs related to maintenance of family routines and traditions, childcare, transportation, meals, home maintenance, and finances. Couples who endorsed marital distress also indicated a need for conflict resolution skills. All patients and 89% of spouses would like to receive parenting-related education/services; up to 50% of couples preferred targeted, self-led readings without therapist support; and up to 50% desired counseling sessions indicating a preference towards dyadic and video conferenced intervention delivery. Conclusions: The delivery of optimal supportive care involves a family-focused perspective such as screening for parenting status and referrals to social work services to address the need of tangible resources and manage parenting-related distress.
KW - co-parents
KW - Metastatic cancer
KW - mixed-methods
KW - parenting
KW - service preferences
KW - spousal caregivers
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.04.027
DO - 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.04.027
M3 - Article
C2 - 37148983
AN - SCOPUS:85159897365
SN - 0885-3924
VL - 66
SP - 160-167.e3
JO - Journal of pain and symptom management
JF - Journal of pain and symptom management
IS - 2
ER -