Föräldrars upplevelser av att leva med ett cancersjukt barn : En litteraturöversikt

Introduction: Every year around 400 000 children are diagnosed with cancer worldwide. Although research in medicine has contributed to increased survival rates in oncology, childhood cancer still brings devastating consequences for all families involved. Questioning the previous lifeworld of a healthy and happy life implies acknowledging vulnerability to potentially losing their child and facing challenges including altered family dynamics and socioeconomic stresses. Objective: The aim was to describe parents experiences of living with a child with cancer. Method: A literature review with descriptive design. The results were analyzed using Popenoe et al., (2021) systematic method for data analysis and are based on eleven qualitative original articles. Results: Living with a child with cancer results in emotional challenges for the parents, such as shock, fear, guilt, grief, suffering and a desire to protect their child. Parents expressed different opinions on whether they felt supported by healthcare professionals and other social relationships. The results also showed that the parents gained new insights related to the illness. The parents had to alter their everyday pattern and make personal sacrifices in order to care for their child. The parents also adopted different types of strategies in order to try to manage the painful illness process. Conclusion: Living with a child with cancer is experienced by the parents as a process filled with emotional challenges. The parents endured feelings of guilt, worry, denial and suffering as a result of witnessing their sick child suffer. Obtaining support from the social network and healthcare professionals was considered an important part of managing the disease. ; Introduktion: Varje år drabbas cirka 400 000 barn av cancer världen över. Trots att forskning inom medicin bidragit till ökad överlevnad inom onkologi, medför barncancer idag förödande konsekvenser för alla familjer som drabbas. Att ifrågasätta den tidigare världsbilden om ett friskt och ...