Experiences of adults as parents with cancer: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies

Abstract

Problem identification

This thematic synthesis is aimed at providing an overview of qualitative studies on parenting experiences during cancer and focuses on the investigation of the challenges parents face and the strategies they use to adapt to a new situation.

Literature search

A search of five electronic databases was conducted, specifying publication dates between 1993 and 2020. Qualitative studies, which focused on parenting experiences of cancer patients with minor children from an ill parent perspective, were included in the review. Thematic synthesis was undertaken to examine the included studies by referring to a theoretical model of family resilience by Froma Walsh.

Data evaluation

12,345 articles were discovered and, after assessment for eligibility, 27 studies were included in the review. The thematic synthesis involved line by line coding of the findings of the primary studies and the development of descriptive and analytical themes.

Conclusions

This review showed that parenting is a process that requires restructuring in the face of cancer. After cancer diagnosis, requirements connected to the illness and its treatments are imposed on previous family life duties.

Keywords:

• Cancer
• family resilience
• oncology
• parenting

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.