Abstract
Background: Parents of children with cancer are highly vulnerable, often experiencing profound psychological distress, and caregiving burden. While existing research primarily focuses on parental distress, few studies have explored how parents navigate psychosocial, behavioral, and spiritual transformations during their child’s illness.
Aims: This study explored how Taiwanese parents navigate psychosocial, behavioral, and spiritual changes while caring for children diagnosed with cancer.
Methods: A qualitative descriptive design using a phenomenological approach was employed. Seventeen parents from pediatric oncology units in three medical centers in Taipei participated in in-depth interviews by trained research nurses with experience of pediatric oncological care. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method.
Findings: Parents experienced complex psychosocial, behavioral, and spiritual shifts throughout their child’s illness. Three overarching themes and thirteen subthemes emerged: (1) Psychosocial shifts—emotional turmoil, struggles, guilt burden, and use of social support; (2) Behavioral shifts—restructuring family roles, unwavering dedication to caregiving, facilitating the child’s coping, and redefining parent–child boundaries; and (3) Spiritual shifts and resilience—bargaining and resentment, reordering life priorities, faith as a source of peace and hope, and personal growth with renewed appreciation of life.
Discussion and Conclusions: The findings reveal the intertwined psychosocial, behavioral, and spiritual transformations parents undergo, reflecting principles of holistic care and posttraumatic growth. These insights emphasize the importance of culturally sensitive communication and strength-based interventions to foster parental adaptation and family well-being. Future studies should develop and evaluate holistic care models to enhance support for families and advance pediatric oncology nursing practice.
Notes
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Sigma Membership
Lambda Beta at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Implementation Science, Virtual Learning, Stress and Coping
Recommended Citation
Liaw, Jen-Jiuan; Hu, Wen-Yu; Lan, Hsiang-Yun; Tsai, Yu-Lun; and Lin, Chen-Xi, "Navigating Psychosocial, Behavioural, and Spiritual Transformations During a Child’s Cancer Journey" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 175.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/175
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-20
Navigating Psychosocial, Behavioural, and Spiritual Transformations During a Child’s Cancer Journey
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: Parents of children with cancer are highly vulnerable, often experiencing profound psychological distress, and caregiving burden. While existing research primarily focuses on parental distress, few studies have explored how parents navigate psychosocial, behavioral, and spiritual transformations during their child’s illness.
Aims: This study explored how Taiwanese parents navigate psychosocial, behavioral, and spiritual changes while caring for children diagnosed with cancer.
Methods: A qualitative descriptive design using a phenomenological approach was employed. Seventeen parents from pediatric oncology units in three medical centers in Taipei participated in in-depth interviews by trained research nurses with experience of pediatric oncological care. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method.
Findings: Parents experienced complex psychosocial, behavioral, and spiritual shifts throughout their child’s illness. Three overarching themes and thirteen subthemes emerged: (1) Psychosocial shifts—emotional turmoil, struggles, guilt burden, and use of social support; (2) Behavioral shifts—restructuring family roles, unwavering dedication to caregiving, facilitating the child’s coping, and redefining parent–child boundaries; and (3) Spiritual shifts and resilience—bargaining and resentment, reordering life priorities, faith as a source of peace and hope, and personal growth with renewed appreciation of life.
Discussion and Conclusions: The findings reveal the intertwined psychosocial, behavioral, and spiritual transformations parents undergo, reflecting principles of holistic care and posttraumatic growth. These insights emphasize the importance of culturally sensitive communication and strength-based interventions to foster parental adaptation and family well-being. Future studies should develop and evaluate holistic care models to enhance support for families and advance pediatric oncology nursing practice.
Description
Three overarching themes and thirteen subthemes emerged: (1) Psychosocial shifts—emotional turmoil, struggles, guilt burden, and use of social support; (2) Behavioral shifts—restructuring family roles, unwavering dedication to caregiving, facilitating the child’s coping, and redefining parent–child boundaries; and (3) Spiritual shifts and resilience—bargaining and resentment, reordering life priorities, faith as a source of peace and hope, and personal growth with renewed appreciation of life.