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

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.