Parents’ Experiences of Communicating With Children About Their Diagnosis of Nonterminal Cancer and Its Related Issues

Abstract

Background Many children experience serious symptoms when they are diagnosed with and treated for cancer. Through appropriate parent-child communication, parents were able to identify children’s physical and psychological problems, adjust their behavior, and help them cope with the disease. Objective This study aimed to systematically search for and integrate evidence from qualitative studies on communication between parents and children with nonterminal cancer from parents’ perspectives. Methods A thorough systematic review and metasynthesis of qualitative studies were conducted. Articles were searched from PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and PsycArticles from the database inception to November 6, 2022. After screening and quality appraisal, 14 articles were finally included in the metasynthesis. Results Three themes and 11 subthemes were identified: (1) communication content, including diagnosis, treatment, health management, health risk, and emotion; (2) factors influencing communication, including ages of children, parents’ experience of communication, parents’ awareness of protection, and culture; and (3) children’s responses, including acceptance and resistance. Conclusions This systematic review found that parents were influenced by various factors during the decision-making process of parent-child communication about childhood cancer and its related issues. Parents tended to adjust their communication content and style to protect their children. Implications for Practice Future research should be conducted to explore children’s experiences of communicating with their parents and analyze the similarities and differences between the communication needs of parents and children. Healthcare professionals should provide professional communication guidance to facilitate the parent-child relationship and improve the mental health of both children and their parents.