Cancer is one of the leading causes of illness in children/adolescents and is associated with a symbolic representation of death, incurability and intense suffering. For parents, the diagnosis of a chronic illness is one of the most stressful episodes they can experience. Their perception of the illness, as well as their emotional adjustment and management of the situation, is crucial, as the treatments must be managed in the family's daily life. In a context of emotional and functional imbalance, it is natural for parents to feel insecure, anxious and overburdened in caring for their child and to experience stress. This may be influenced by variables such as the type of cancer, survival expectations, type of treatment, and perceptions of illness. In this context, this research aims to improve our knowledge of parents' perceptions of their child's cancer and their stress. This knowledge will facilitate professional understanding and communication. On the other hand, by knowing the most affected dimensions of parents' well-being, professionals will be more aware of situations that need specialized help or intervention.
This is a quantitative, descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study. The data will be collected at the Pediatric Oncology Unit of the Children's Hospital of Coimbra, through the application of a self-administered questionnaire to the parents of a child/adolescent with cancer, 3 months after the clinical diagnosis.
01/01/2014
Em desenvolvimento
DIAGNOSTICS AND INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Self-care and health-disease