Parental Support Intervention in the Oncological Context

Background: Cancer has a significant short and long-term impact on the family. Children of cancer patients may suffer from emotional, behavioral or somatic difficulties. Following the cancer diagnosis, many parents report being concerned about the impact of the illness on their children and how to communicate about the illness. In addition, they feel less able to meet the needs of their children and have difficulties regulating their emotions in response to their children's reactions. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was designed to assess the efficacy of a parental guidance intervention centered on communication with children in the context of a parental cancer. This psychological intervention is designed to help parents and significant caregivers of the children. The participants are randomly assigned to either an intervention group (experimental group) or a waiting list group (control group). The participants fill out self reported questionnaires that assess the parental self-efficacy in communication, mutual social support, communicational behaviors' with children, parenting concerns,communicational difficulties with children, knowledges about communication with children in oncological context, socio-demographical status, medical situation, psychiatric history, social difficulties and emotional state of the participants and children. The semi-structured interview with participants assesses their day to day communication with the children and the difficulties related to this communication. Those questionnaires are completed at baseline and post treatment (experimental group) and 9 weeks after baseline (control group). This parental guidance consists of a weekly 4-session intervention. The aim of the sessions are to provide child support in the oncological context, mainly through communication. Discussion: This parental guidance would lead to improvements in knowledge, communication, parental self-efficacy and emotional regulation associated with child support.