Childhood Cancer Diagnosis During the COVID-19 Pandemic: the Parent Perspective of the Impact on the Family

Abstract

Paediatric cancer is rare, however, the significant impact on the whole family system is widely acknowledged. The COVID-19 pandemic posed many additional challenges for families, including fear of infection and social disruption caused by imposed restrictions. This study aimed to explore parents’ perception of the impact of a paediatric cancer diagnosis during the pandemic on the family. Walsh’s (2003, 2016) socio-ecological family resilience framework was used to highlight family processes, as well as to consider the broader influences on the family system, such as communication with healthcare professionals. Six parents of children undergoing cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, took part in semi-structured interviews. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, three General Experiential Themes (GET) were identified. These themes simultaneously capture the stress that families experienced, while also describing family processes that buffered against the stress. GET 1: ‘Isolation versus Connection’, describes feeling isolated from support networks, as well as building and strengthening connections. GET 2: ‘Managing Uncertainty’, encapsulates parents’ frustrations and fears related to information gaps linked to cancer treatment and COVID-19. GET 3: ‘Loss versus Solace’, describes lockdown-related loss of routine and experience, and also positive factors to the imposed restrictions. The study findings emphasise the dynamic relational aspects of resilience, where relationships and communication with other parents, children with cancer, and hospital staff, were important in fostering family resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Areas where structural and relational resources could be better promoted are also highlighted. The project’s socio-ecological lens drew attention to the impact of other extrafamilial factors, such as organisational constraints and the impact of policy on single parents. The findings have applied implications for supporting family resilience in the aftermath of the pandemic, planning for future disaster situations, as well as relevance to paediatric cancer more broadly.