Supporting one another: the nature of family work when a young adult has cancer

Families, and the support they provide, are one of the most important resources of the informal health care delivery system. As nurses we are called upon to enable clients to maximize their use of family resources and to enable families to cope with illness-related events. While research has clearly documented the important role of support in enabling persons to cope effectively with illnesses and illness-related events, further research to understand the processes of providing support within families has been called for. With such information we may be more effective in our efforts to guide and support families as they cope with illness in a family member. This paper was developed from a qualitative study with young adults with cancer that examined social relationships in order to understand the nature of interactions perceived as supportive and the context within which they occurred. In-depth interviews conducted with young adults provided detailed data regarding the nature of support young adults received from and offered to their families in order to maintain family functioning. The processes of offering and receiving support have been conceptualized into five categories of 'family work'. The nature of the work is described and the roles of family members in accomplishing the work are addressed. The findings are discussed in relation to current issues in practice.