NEW APPROACHES TO THE SUPPORTIVE TREATMENT OF SIBLINGS OF PEDIATRIC CANCER PATIENTS.
Item
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Title
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NEW APPROACHES TO THE SUPPORTIVE TREATMENT OF SIBLINGS OF PEDIATRIC CANCER PATIENTS.
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Identifier
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AAI8629671
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identifier
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8629671
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Creator
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BENDOR, SUSAN JULIA.
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Contributor
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Irwin Epstein
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Date
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1986
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Social Work
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Abstract
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The purpose of this investigation was to identify the psychosocial needs of siblings of pediatric cancer patients and to explore ways in which these needs can be met. Research studies and the author's clinical experience have indicated that siblings of such patients suffer in response to the disease process but their needs are generally unattended by parents as well as professionals.;Subjects consisted of 17 parents and 21 siblings of pediatric cancer patients who were diagnosed and were receiving treatment at an urban teaching hospital. The study population was selected through purposive sampling.;Two models of intervention were employed in the study. A comprehensive family-centered approach which included siblings in the diagnostic and treatment process of the sick child was used with three families, containing nine siblings who were followed for two years from the point of diagnosis through the various phases of the illness, remission, relapse, maintenance therapy or death.;The second model involved two support groups developed specifically for elementary school age and adolescent siblings. The groups, were designed to give siblings an opportunity to identify, express and master their feelings of anxiety and isolation in a supportive atmosphere.;The two models were evaluated regarding their effectiveness in addressing and meeting the needs of siblings. Although both were helpful, the family-centered model emerged as the more practical model because it could be incorporated into pediatric practice without imposing additional burdens on parents or health care professionals.;The causes of sibling anxiety and isolation, cited in the literature as two conditions from which siblings frequently suffer, were thoroughly explored in both models of the study. Participant observation was used to collect data which were analyzed using qualitative methods. Eight major sources of anxiety and isolation were identified in the study. Recommendations are made for addressing the siblings' anxiety and isolation in a variety of ways.;The siblings, parents and patients who participated in the project were found to be very responsive to professional attempts to study and meet the emotional and social needs of siblings. The organizational and practical obstacles encountered in implementing a service for siblings are enumerated and discussed.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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D.S.W.
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Program
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Social Work
