Parents' subjective experience of the parenting process in paediatric oncology during hospitalisation at home
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: : Background: Around 2,260 new cases of cancer are diagnosed annually in children in France. Hospitalisation at home (HaH) represents a growing alternative to the more conventional hospital stay, since it enables children with cancer to receive medical care in the home while remaining in a familiar environment. Parents of children can face a significant redefinition of their parenting roles, caught between the continuity of family life and the demands of medical care. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the parenting process from the perspective of parents of children with cancer hospitalised at home. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually with parents (n=27) of children with cancer in two French structures. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and reflexive thematic analysis was applied. Results: Our findings highlight a parenting process structured around three main dimensions, which functions as a dynamic system characterised by a constant interplay between (1) forms of parenting, (2) a continuous parental presence that remains stable over time and (3) the guilt that fuels the process. Conclusions: Parenting process during home setting is dynamic, adaptive and marked by a high emotional and mental burden. In this way, parents must constantly reinvent parenting by integrating new skills to respond to the needs of their children with cancer. Recognising this complexity may ait professionals to the issues confronted by parents caring for children with cancer at home setting. Registration : The study received approval from the Research Ethics Committee of the University of [name will be given latter] under the number [will be given latter]. It was included in the register of data processing activities under reference number [will be given latter], certifying its compliance.
Authors: Voskan Kirakosyan, Matthieu Plichart, Fatima Laradji, Caroline Miler, Adeline Mallard, Bastien Péré, Ingrid Chrétien, Marie-Frédérique Bacqué
Language: English
Topic: Family Support in Illness
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,790
OpenAlex ID: W4415299694