Effects of a psychoeducation program given to mothers with a child cancer-diagnosed child and a healthy adolescent on their self perception of parental role, ways of coping with stress and mental symptoms

The aim of this study was to determine the effecs of a psychoeducation program on mothers of children diagnosed with cancer. The research was conducted in two stages using qualitative and quantitative methods. Healthy adolescent siblings and mothers of the patients who were being treated in the pediatric hematology-oncology clinics of two university hospitals in Ankara constituted the sample of the study. In the first stage, 18 of these siblings' experiences related to the cancer process were determined through in-depth interviews. A psycho-educational intervention program for mothers developed in light of the themes obtained from these interviews and the literature. The second stage of the study was the interventional study with pre-test, post-test and control group in which this psycho-educational program was applied. The program was completed with 15 mothers in both groups. The efficacy of the program was assessed by the Self-Perception of Parenthood Scale, Coping with Stress Scale and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). SPSS was used to analyze the quantitative data. Mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentage were used for descriptive statistical calculations, and Friedman and Wilcoxon tests were used for the analysis of experimental stage data. Concept and thematic analysis were used in qualitative data. At the end of the study, it was determined that the experiences of the siblings was united under four categories: First encounter with the illness, changes in their lives, coping and adaptation efforts, expectations. After the intervention, it was observed that mothers' all subscale scores and total scale scores of the BSI were decreased, and the scores were lower than the pre-intervention scores even in the follow-up measurements but, these were not statistically significant. Changes in somatization, hostility subscale and total scale scores of the mothers in the experimental group was statistically significant (p<.05). According to these results; it is recommended to plan and conduct individual and/or group interventions (in cooperation with health professionals) to protect the healthy siblings and parents of childhood cancer patients from psychosocial risks and empower them mentally.