The qualitative experience of Chinese parents with children diagnosed of cancer

AIM: The present study aimed to describe the coping experiences of Chinese parents with children diagnosed as having cancer during the treatment stage. BACKGROUND: Cancer is the second major cause of death among children in Hong Kong, it claims the lives of 60-70 children per year. Childhood cancer has tremendous impact on the family, especially the parents. It is, therefore, important to understand parents' psychological functioning and coping experience. METHODS: A phenomenological approach was used. Data were collected by qualitative interviews and analysed following Colaizzi's phenomenological methodology. A purposive sample of nine parents whose children were diagnosed of having childhood cancer was recruited from a regional hospital in Hong Kong. RESULTS: Four themes emerged describing parents' coping experiences: shock and denial, establishing the meaning or the situation, confronting the reality and establishing a new perspective. The initial reactions of the parents to the diagnosis were shock, denial and worry. However, they quickly accepted the reality and regarded their child's illness as their 'fate' that they had to accept. They were committed to the care of the sick child and seek informational and emotional support to cope with the situation. All of them were able to identify positive aspects from the illness experience and establish hope for the future. Chinese cultural beliefs might help the parents cope positively and avoid negative emotions. CONCLUSION: This study found some commonalities of coping experience in both Western and Chinese culture. It adds knowledge to the coping experience of Chinese parents at the treatment phase of their children's illness and highlighted the need for emotional and information support for parents. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Education programme and mutual support group would be helpful to parents. Nurses have to learn how different cultural groups and subcultural groups in the society cope to provide competent cultural care.