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Published on: September 19, 2019
A systematic review of the current interventions available to support children living with parental cancer
Elise Alexander1, Moira O'Connor1, Clare Rees1
1School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Australia.
Insights
Interventions for children with a parent diagnosed with cancer show limited effectiveness. More targeted support is needed to address distress and developmental disruption in these vulnerable children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Oncology Support Services
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Background:
- Parental cancer significantly impacts children's well-being, leading to distress and developmental challenges.
- Existing support interventions for children of cancer patients require rigorous evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and evaluate the effectiveness of current interventions for children experiencing parental cancer.
- To summarize intervention outcomes based on children's self-reports.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Cochrane guidelines.
- Comprehensive literature search across seven databases and grey literature from May 2015 to August 2018.
Main Results:
- Eight studies involving six distinct interventions were analyzed.
- Low study quality and heterogeneity in research design and interventions were noted.
- While some improvements in PTSD symptoms, emotional regulation, and depression were observed, overall effectiveness was limited.
Conclusions:
- Current interventions inadequately support children of cancer patients.
- There is a critical need for more tailored and targeted interventions.
- Development of a theoretical model is recommended to guide future intervention research.
Objective:
Children living with parental cancer are vulnerable to distress and developmental disruption. This review aims to identify current interventions to support cancer patients' children and summarise how effective these are based on children's reports.
Methods:
Between 25 May 2015 and 6 August 2018, a broad search strategy was used to identify relevant references. Seven databases were searched, and grey literature was also vetted. This review was informed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and Cochrane guidelines.
Results:
Eight studies evaluating six interventions were retained. Research designs and interventions were heterogenous, and study quality was low. A limited number of significant results were reported by studies. These evidenced improvement for PTSD symptoms, emotional regulation, and depression. However, overall current interventions do not appear effective among patients' children.
Conclusion:
Despite encouraging preliminary findings, interventions do not yet adequately support cancer patients' children. There is a need for more tailored and targeted interventions. A theoretical model conceptualising the impact of parental cancer may assist this.
Practice Implications:
Findings will assist future intervention research by promoting standardised levels of care among cancer patients' children, that is empirically supported, effective, and meets principles of non-maleficence.
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