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The experiences and feelings of Chinese children living with leukemia: a qualitative study
Insights
Children with leukemia often face negative emotions during hospitalization. Younger children with extroverted personalities and longer treatment durations adapt more easily to hospital stays.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Child Psychology
- Qualitative Health Research
Background:
- Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer.
- Hospitalized children with leukemia frequently experience behavioral and emotional challenges.
- Optimizing psychological development and quality of life for hospitalized children is crucial for healthcare professionals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experiences and emotions of Chinese children undergoing leukemia treatment in a hospital setting.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive qualitative research design.
- In-depth interviews conducted with pediatric leukemia patients.
- Content analysis used for data interpretation.
Main Results:
- Twenty-nine children with leukemia participated in the study.
- Most children reported negative experiences and feelings early in hospitalization.
- Three adaptation levels identified: inability to adapt, compelled acceptance, and adaptation to hospitalization.
Conclusions:
- Treatment duration, child's personality, and age are key factors influencing psychological distress.
- Younger children, those with extroverted personalities, and those on longer treatment regimens adapt more readily.
- Findings inform healthcare providers in understanding and planning individualized psychological care for pediatric leukemia patients.
Background:
Leukemia is the most common pediatric malignancy. Many children with leukemia display behavioral and emotional problems. Promoting children's psychological development and quality of life during hospitalization is an important activity carried out by health professionals.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to describe the experiences and feelings of Chinese children with leukemia in the hospital.
Method:
In-depth interviews were conducted with Chinese children with leukemia using a descriptive qualitative research method. The data were analyzed using content analysis.
Results:
Twenty-nine children with leukemia were interviewed. Almost all children had negative experiences and feelings during the early stage of hospitalization, and there were 3 levels of adaptation that they displayed: inability to adapt to hospitalization, a sense of being compelled to accept hospitalization, and adaptation to hospitalization.
Conclusions:
Three factors are associated with children's psychological distress, including the duration of treatment, children's personality, and age. Children of a younger age, with more extrovert personalities and who were undergoing longer treatment courses, adapted to hospitalization more easily.
Implications For Practice:
The findings provide information for health professionals to understand children's psychological status during hospitalization and help nurses to plan individualized psychological care for children.
