Social support and childhood cancer survivors: A systematic review (2006–2022)

Abstract

Objective: Research has indicated that social support may play a protective role in the face of stress and help children and adolescents cope with the demands and challenges they face on a daily basis during their cancer journey. However, social support tends to reduce over time as survivors overcome their illness despite its ongoing importance even years after treatment has finished. The current review aimed to systematically examine existing evidence on social support in child and adolescent cancer survivors.Methods: Five databases (PsychINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed and Web of Science) were searched systematically to identify quantitative studies which explored social support from the perspective of child and adolescent cancer survivors aged 18 years or younger.Results: A total of 10 studies met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. Findings from the review indicate that family and friends, particularly parents, are important sources of social support for survivors. Social support was positively related to posttraumatic growth, school re-entry and physical activity, and negatively related to psychological stress, depression, anxiety and stress. Furthermore, findings relating to gender, age and group differences were mixed. A number of methodological concerns were identified in the reviewed studies including small sample sizes, as well as a lack of consistency in the measurement of social support.Conclusions: Future studies of social support for child and adolescent cancer survivors need to address these shortcomings to help inform care and support interventions promoting social support in survivors.

Post-traumatic Growth and Influencing Factors of Parents With Children With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Cross-sectional Survey Study

“…This causes serious trauma to the families of the affected children. Research has shown that a positive attitude towards the future can help injured individuals better cope with current traumatic events and improve the negative physical and mental experiences they bring [20]. We conducted a survey among parents and found that their post-traumatic growth is at a moderate level and needs to be improved.…”

Parents’ experiences of living with a child with cancer undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a qualitative content analysis study

“…Pediatric cancer is identified as the second leading cause of death among children aged under 14 years ( Faranoush et al, 2022 ). Globally, approximately 400,000 children (aged 0–19 years) receive a cancer diagnosis each year, with 70% being aged below the age of 15 years ( World Health Organization, 2021 ; Deegan et al, 2023 ). Data from the American Cancer Society indicates that roughly 1 out of every 285 children aged below 20 is diagnosed with cancer.…”

“…A study conducted by Hashemi et al (2024) on childhood and adolescent cancer in Iran revealed a standardized cancer incidence increase from 129.2 per million in 1999 to 132.3 per million in 2016 ( Hashemi et al, 2024 ). Despite this daunting statistic, advances in cancer care and treatment over the past four decades have contributed to improved survival rates in pediatric oncology ( Deegan et al, 2023 ).…”

Benefits and Process of Providing Peer Support for Pediatric Burn Survivors and Caregivers during Inpatient and Outpatient Phases of Recovery

“…10 Family and friends tend to be defined as a major source of support for childhood cancer survivors, while family support is more determined to be a major source in middle-to-late adulthood. 11 Within the review paper previously mentioned, Long and Marsland also highlighted the value of social support and various psychosocial outcomes, such as school re-entry and psychological symptoms. 10 Despite their being limitations in the study, this clarifies that there is value and more research is needed for the concept of social support across many medical conditions in pediatric patients and families.…”