A qualitative study of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors' perceptions of family and peer support

J Health Psychol. 2020 Apr;25(5):713-726. doi: 10.1177/1359105318769366. Epub 2018 Apr 24.

Abstract

This qualitative study examined adolescent and young adult survivors' perceptions of support from family and peers. A total of 26 survivors, aged 16-24 years, who had been diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 14 and 18, participated in semi-structured interviews. Three themes emerged for support: practical support, emotional support, and new sense of closeness. For lack of support, two themes emerged: absence during treatment and lack of understanding about appearance changes. These findings emphasize the perceived importance of family and peer support throughout adolescent and young adults' cancer trajectories and indicate a need for interventions to help adolescent and young adult develop and maintain support networks throughout treatment and survivorship.

Keywords: adolescence; cancer; health psychology; qualitative methods; social support.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Cancer Survivors / psychology*
  • Family / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Peer Group*
  • Qualitative Research
  • Social Perception
  • Social Support*
  • Young Adult