Psychology
The diagnosis of childhood cancer is a stressful event for the entire family. As a psychologist, you can play an important role in supporting children with cancer and their families through various interventions and forms of guidance aimed at reducing stress, anxiety, and psychological symptoms.
Children with cancer and their parents are exposed to various stressors, such as pain, uncertainty, and medical procedures. For parents, the most distressing stressor is the possibility of losing their child. This can lead to medical traumatic stress, a psychological and or physical response in children and parents to everything they are confronted with.
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Most families who are confronted with this find their resilience again over time and learn to cope well with the challenges of treatment. They are able to adapt to the new reality, and stress responses decrease to normal levels.
Although all families may experience stress, each family copes with emotions and experiences in its own way. Recognizing the different ways in which children and parents deal with this stress, or coping, is important for providing the right support. Each phase of treatment has specific characteristics that influence the responses of both children and parents.