Marthe Tulpin: New paper published on parental cancer

Marthe Tulpin, PhD student at the University of Ghent, shared on LinkedIn:

“New paper published on parental cancer!

‘A sincere ‘how are you?’ is already a sign of acknowledgement that you’re there too.’ – Interview study on the support needs of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) living with a parent with cancer. .

Read the full paper here.

Some highlights:

• AYAs need honest information and updates from the very beginning.
• Support in developing personal coping strategies emerged as an important need.
• Family members, friends, and teachers are important sources of informal support for AYAs.
• At school, there was often an unmet need for a proactive confidant and flexibility. AYAs in post-secondary education need more recognition, flexibility, and practical assistance.
• AYAs miss contact with other young people who have a parent with cancer. They often felt lonely in their experiences.
• Furthermore, AYAs needed support from the parent’s medical team, (onco)psychologists, and the general practitioner, though they encountered several barriers in accessing formal support.

AYAs need a more proactive approach from healthcare providers and clarity about the available support for them.

With Liesbet Goubert, Anne-Lore Scherrens, Anne van Driessche, Lesley Verhofstadt, Ulrika Kreicbergs, Liesbet Goubert and Kim Beernaert.”

Source: Marthe Tulpin/LinkedIn