Mehrdad Azarbarzin; Amin Jafari
Volume 25, Issue 10 , 2023
Abstract
Background: Cancer is a common and fatal disease that affects family members, especially adolescents, and causes changes in family communication patternsObjectives: To investigate the impact of parental cancer on family communication patterns from the adolescents' perspective.Methods: The present study ...
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Background: Cancer is a common and fatal disease that affects family members, especially adolescents, and causes changes in family communication patternsObjectives: To investigate the impact of parental cancer on family communication patterns from the adolescents' perspective.Methods: The present study was a descriptive correlational study conducted on one hundred adolescents with parents with cancer who were selected by available sampling method. The research instruments were a demographic questionnaire and a revised standard questionnaire of the Ritchie and Fitzpatrick family communication model. The information was analysed using S.P.S.S. version 16 software and descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and correlation coefficient.Results: The proportion of consensual communication in the family was lowest (3%) and the proportion of laissez-faire communication in the family was highest (58%). The correlation is inverse in the number of children and in the range of treatment level, and a significant direct correlation is observed in the range of family communication pattern and child rank, but in other cases, the correlation coefficient shows no significant communication (p< 0/05).Conclusion: From the adolescents' perspective, most families whose parents have cancer move toward a laissez-faire family. In these families, there is a low level of conversation and harmony, there is little interaction between family members, and usually only a limited number of topics are discussed. Therefore, the importance of family communication during this time, especially with adolescents, should be emphasized through appropriate education of families whose parents have cancer.
Mehrdad Azarbarzin; Azadeh Malekian; Fariba Taleghani
Volume 18, Issue 1 , 2018, Pages 1-7
Abstract
Background: Cancer affects not only the patient but also their entire family, especially adolescents. Adolescents whose parents are ill may manifest their distress through changes in school performance, physical complaints of pain and discomfort, as well as changes in social and interpersonal relations. ...
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Background: Cancer affects not only the patient but also their entire family, especially adolescents. Adolescents whose parents are ill may manifest their distress through changes in school performance, physical complaints of pain and discomfort, as well as changes in social and interpersonal relations. There has been very little research about the effects of cancer on adolescents in Iran. Objectives: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the Iranian adolescents’ experiences when living with a parent with cancer. Patients and Methods: In this research, the descriptive-explorative approach was used. There were a total of 27 participants. Pur- poseful sampling was used and data collection methods were semi-structured deep interviews. Constant comparative analysis was used to study the data. Results: The findings of this study showed that the main experiences of these adolescents were categorized into seven themes: 1- psychological problems of adolescents; 2- supportive-educative needs; 3- cancer as a two edged sword in family relationships; 4- stages of confrontation with the parent’s cancer; 5- effect of cancer on social dimensions; 6- affective and helpful supportive agents; 7- Need of support for education under special conditions. Conclusions: This research showed that Iranian adolescents had the same experiences as other adolescents in other countries in many aspects yet in some issues, such as religious strategy, they had strong religious beliefs that would help them cope with their parents’ cancer. Also it was shown that we must plan a program in which education and support should be provided to enable adolescents to cope with this detrimental situation with minimal disruption.
