Exploring the Experiences and Psychosocial Needs of Adolescents with Brain Tumors: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: Despite the improved survival rates, adolescents with brain tumors experience physical, psychological, and social challenges throughout their cancer journey. Accordingly, the importance of psychosocial assessment and intervention has been highlighted alongside concerns for their quality of life. This study aimed to explore the experience of cancer and intervention needs from the patients’ perspective as a foundational step toward developing a psychological intervention program. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted with 11 adolescent brain tumor patients who were either undergoing or had completed cancer treatment. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was conducted, with independent researchers coding the data and developing themes to explore the needs of adolescent brain tumor patients. Results: Four primary themes emerged: disrupted sense of self and illness burden , disrupted development in school and peer worlds , family and health care system as double-edged contexts , and rebuilding life and requesting tailored support . The themes reflected the complex and multidimensional experiences of identity disruption, relational ambivalence, and internal and external changes following cancer diagnosis, as well as adolescents’ active efforts to navigate these experiences. Conclusion: Adolescents diagnosed with brain tumors require integrated and developmentally tailored interventions from diagnosis throughout the cancer trajectory. Psychosocial interventions should be based on comprehensive assessments of physical, psychological, and cognitive functioning while also reflecting adolescents’ developmental characteristics and individual needs. Frontline health care providers may serve as key facilitators through therapeutic communication and by fostering connections between patients, families, and multidisciplinary resources.