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Adolescents completing cancer therapy: meaning, perception, and coping
1Department of Family Health Care Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco.
Oncology Nursing Forum
|May 1, 1994
Summary
Adolescents perceive finishing cancer therapy uniquely, using distinct coping strategies before and after treatment completion. Understanding these experiences aids nursing support for patients and families.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent Psychology
- Pediatric Oncology
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Cancer therapy completion is a significant transition for adolescents.
- Coping mechanisms evolve during and after treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore adolescents' experiences and changing coping strategies around cancer therapy completion.
- To understand the period from 3 months before to 6 months after treatment cessation.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal, qualitative study using grounded theory.
- 13 adolescents interviewed at four time points (pre- and post-chemotherapy completion).
- Constant comparative analysis of transcribed interviews.
Main Results:
- Adolescents viewed completion as task accomplishment and a move toward normalcy.
- Pre-completion coping included positive thinking, distraction, and reinterpretation.
- Post-completion coping involved negotiation, cognitive reliving, and selective forgetting.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents' perceptions of finishing cancer therapy are distinct.
- Coping strategies significantly differ before and after treatment completion.
- Findings inform nursing support for adolescents and their parents during this transition.