6-12 age group receıvıng cancer treatment chıldren's mothers, supportıve care needs, self-stıgmatızatıon and care burden levelsexamınıng the relatıonshıp

Objective:This study was conducted to examine the relationship between the individual characteristics, supportive care needs, self-stigma and care burden levels of the mothers of children aged 6-12 years undergoing cancer treatment. Method: This descriptive and relationship-seeking study was conducted in the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Service and Outpatient Chemotherapy Units of Akdeniz University Hospital between April 2022 and April 2023. Mothers of children aged 6-12 years who received outpatient and inpatient treatment were included in the study and a total of 64 mothers were completed in the study. The data were collected by face-to-face interview method by using the Mother Identification Form, Supportive Care Needs of Caregivers Scale, Self-Stigma Scale/Family and Zarit Caregiving Burden Scale. The data were analyzed with SPSS 22.0 program. Result: It was found that the mothers participating in the study had above-average supportive care needs (2.59±0.92), had low self-stigmatization levels (23.04±10.78) and had moderate caregiving burdens (29.5±13.77). A statistically significant relationship was found between mothers' burden of care, supportive care needs and self-stigmatization levels (p<0.05). Conclusion: Mothers have been found to have increased caregiving burdens as their supportive care needs and levels of self-stigma increase. In line with these results, it is foreseen that the burden of care will decrease with the difficulties experienced by mothers during care and the interventions to be made for their needs and the support to be offered in nursing care. Key words: care burden, childhood cancers, supportive care needs, self-stigma, consultation liaison psychiatry nursing