- Title
- The experience of the young adolescent diagnosed with cancer
- Creator
- Drew, Donna
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2024
- Description
- Professional Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- A diagnosis of cancer at any life stage can be an emotional and life-threatening experience. For an adolescent, a diagnosis of cancer occurs at a time when they are forming their own identities. There are clinical models of care that focus on paediatric and older adolescent patients. However, I wondered about the younger adolescent and how they experienced of a diagnosis of cancer after I observed the disruption a diagnosis imposed on patients aged 11—15 years. I also wondered about the social implications and emotional turmoil a diagnosis of cancer imposed. To be able to inform healthcare teams and provide insights about meeting their needs, I needed to hear the story of the young adolescent diagnosed with cancer to understand their experience. The purpose of this study was to explore the stories that described the experience of young adolescents diagnosed with cancer. Interviews were conducted over three time points during the first year following their diagnosis to enable the young adolescents to describe their experiences. The following aims were developed to explore the pieces of my research puzzle: 1) To explore, over time, the stories that described the experience of the young adolescent (11—15 years) diagnosed with cancer; 2) To develop insights that may enable healthcare teams to offer appropriate care and support that is responsive to the unique needs of the young adolescent (11—15 years) diagnosed with cancer. The relational research methodology of narrative inquiry was used to address and explore the pieces of my research puzzle. The three-dimensional metaphorical framework of temporality, sociality, and place described by Clandinin and Connelly(2000), underpinned by Dewey’s (1938) philosophy experience, guided this research and the analysis of the young adolescents’ stories. Eleven young adolescents agreed to take part in this study. Data was collected by interviews at three time points in the first year of their cancer diagnosis. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and the binaries and metaphors provided depth of their experience. Analysis of young adolescents’ stories of their experience of a cancer diagnosis resulted in nine resonant threads. The threads that emerged from my analysis were - Feeling stuck in time and place (a liminal space), Loss, and Loss of control - Confronting cancer, loss, and altered embodiment - Remembering the past, navigating the present and planning for the future - The unconditional love and comfort of pets - The other C word ... COVID - Staying connected across time and changing landscapes, and Social media - The importance of family and future fertility - Moments of faith and courage - Navigating my culture and cancer. Findings suggest significant indications for clinical practice. Healthcare teams need to consider care that is tailored to the individual young adolescent’s developmental, emotional, and clinical care needs. Patients are often placed in cohorts of either paediatric or adolescent. When this occurs, young adolescent patients find themselves betwixt and between. Too old for paediatric focused care and too young for care offered by adolescent-focused healthcare teams. Young adolescents stories of their cancer experience will hopefully encourage healthcare teams to be aware of and responsive to the unique challenges of this vulnerable cohort. The distinct contribution of this study to knowledge is the dual liminality experienced by young adolescents with cancer. Other studies have not identified how young adolescents felt about being held in this dual liminality. This study details young adolescents’ shared feelings of uncertainty and vulnerability and what this experience meant to them. In conclusion, as cure rates improve, an increasing number of young adolescent cancer survivors will assimilate into the community, society, and the workforce. To be able to live and function like their peers, age-appropriate psychological care and support should be offered. There is potential for clinicians to use insights from this study to improve their cancer experience, and for future researchers to focus on the significant experiences and needs of these vulnerable young adolescents.
- Subject
- narrative inquiry; young adolescent; cancer; liminality
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1511504
- Identifier
- uon:56503
- Rights
- Copyright 2024 Donna Drew
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 3 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 320 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |