This research was conducted at a summer camp for siblings of children with cancer. Participants included 77 siblings (ages 6-17 years) and their parents. Before attending camp, 18 of the siblings had experienced the death of their brother or sister with cancer. Projective measures were administered before attending camp and 3 months after camp. These included the Human Figure Drawing (HFD) and the Kinetic Family Drawing-Revised (KFD-R). Siblings were administered both the HFD and KFD-R; parents were given the KFD-R. On the HFD, siblings' emotional distress scores decreased significantly pre- to postcamp. On the KFD-R, nonbereaved siblings and parents showed significant improvement in family environment scores. Bereaved siblings and parents also showed improvement (although nonsignificant). These results support Camp Okizu's effectiveness in increasing siblings' emotional well-being yet underscore the need to implement interventions to address family communication for both bereaved and nonbereaved families.
This study explored how Latinas diagnosed with a breast abnormality suspicious for cancer define and use social support while undergoing diagnostic follow-up and/or awaiting a definitive diagnosis. Qualitative data was collected and analyzed from 15 telephone interviews with Spanish-speaking women diagnosed with a breast abnormality suspicious for cancer. Findings indicated that social support was perceived as the comfort, caring, and esteem a person receives from others. With respect to family support, half of the participants felt female family members (e.g., daughters, mothers) were more supportive than male family members (e.g., fathers, sons) when discussing their illness. Many participants felt that asking for help from family members, friends, and health professionals was acceptable under medical circumstances and less justifiable under non-medical circumstances. In conclusion, our findings suggest that Latinas diagnosed with a breast abnormality suspicious for breast cancer are more likely to seek support from family members, friends and health professional after a definitive diagnosis has been given. Additional research is needed to assess the impact of social support in increasing adherence to diagnostic follow-up procedures for a breast abnormality.
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