Children's experiences of living with maternal breast cancer: A qualitative study

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the experiences of Taiwanese school-aged children coping with maternal breast cancer.

Design: A qualitative interview study.

Methods: A cohort of 10 boys and 12 girls aged 6 to 13 years (mean age, 9.86 years) whose mothers were diagnosed with breast cancer in the last 2 years were recruited from patient networks in Taiwan. Data were collected from February to June 2019 via semi-structured individual interviews. Their responses were subjected to content analysis.

Results: Content analysis yielded six themes: (1) reluctance to share feelings with others; (2) recognizing changes in the tone of family life; (3) casting the cause of breast cancer onto oneself; (4) engaging in active coping; (5) maturing and gaining life lessons; and (6) family communication matters.

Conclusion: The findings shed light on how family processes and cultural beliefs shape children's experiences. School-aged children came to terms with the significance of maternal breast cancer from a broad context of family experiences over time, and thus gained insights into their self-expectations and future aspirations.

Impact: Healthcare professionals can help school-aged children develop a rational view of breast cancer pathogenesis. In addition, we suggest nursing interventions to support a family-oriented approach to coping. Such interventions should address changes in family processes to improve coping abilities of children and the entire family.

Keywords: breast cancer; child behaviour; child lived experiences; cultural issues; family communication; family resilience; parental cancer; qualitative approaches; school-aged children; socio-cultural context.