Addressing the Mental Health Impacts of a Mother’s Breast Cancer on Her Adolescent Daughter(s): The Development of Mental Health Resources for Adolescent Daughters Open Access
Fadda, Kayla (Spring 2020)
Abstract
Background: While it has been found that reliable support during adolescent years can prevent or reverse the damaging effects of toxic stress caused by the maternal breast cancer experience, adolescent daughters may be experiencing adverse mental health impacts at a disproportionately alarming rate, as compared to normative groups.
Objective: This goal of this thesis is to better understand the experience of adolescent daughters of mothers with breast cancer and to address the areas of mental health need found among this vulnerable population by designing two novel mental health resources. This thesis intends to assist adolescent daughters from developing and/or maintaining any negative impacts that may come from maternal breast cancer. In doing so, the overall aim is to prevent mental health symptoms and/or disorders from developing and persisting for this population.
Methods: To fully assess the gaps in mental health support directed toward adolescent daughters of mothers with breast cancer, as well as to discover a solution to best address such gaps, three different sources of data collection were utilized: an informal questionnaire, comprehensive reviews of literature, and rigorous internet-based research on current models of health promotion and dissemination.
Results: While it was revealed that there remain insufficient mental health resources directed exclusively toward adolescent daughters of mothers with breast cancer, two novel products were created to best support adolescent daughters in coping with maternal breast cancer. Such products, which include a comprehensive booklet and a condensed mental health pamphlet, were developed through the use of recommendations uncovered throughout an in-depth evaluation of the literature.
Discussion: Though there continues to be a lack of available and adequate mental health support for adolescent daughters of mothers with breast cancer, intervention studies have shown that increasing support initiatives can have beneficial effects on adolescent daughters. Developing two mental health resources will ideally increase adolescent daughters’ sense of understanding of their mothers’ disease and better support them in taking control of their own lives.
Recommendations and Next Steps: It is recommended that the developed mental health resources be adopted and further developed for age-specific periods in adolescence and across multiple languages. In addition, further research should be done to better understand long-term outcomes, as well as the impact of socioeconomic disparities. Lastly, shifts in the cancer care model may need to occur in order to better support female adolescent offspring of mothers with breast cancer.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction…………………………………………………………………….1
1.1. Introduction.…………………………………………………………………….…1
1.2. Statement of the Problem……………………………………………………….…3
1.3. State of Purpose………………………………………………….…………….…..4
1.4. Significance………………………………………………….………………..…...4
1.5. Research Objectives………………………………………………….……………5
Chapter 2: Literature Review.……………….………………………….………………….6
2.1. Cancer……………….…………………………….…………………………….…6
2.2. Adolescence and Cancer’s Impact……………….…………………………….…..8
2.2.1. Negative impacts found among adolescent daughters...………………....…9
2.2.1.1. Key issues for adolescent daughters.……………….……….…….11
2.2.2. Positive impacts found among adolescent daughters………………….…..14
2.3. Parental Cancer Debate……………….…………………………….…………….15
2.4. Adolescent Mental Health Disorders……………….…………………………….15
2.4.1. Consequences of untreated adolescent mental health disorders…………..16
2.5. Gaps in Mental Health Support……………….…………………………….…….18
2.5.1. Gaps within the healthcare system.……………………….………………..19
2.5.2. Gaps within the family.……………………….…….………………….…..20
2.5.3. The need for additional psychological support.………………….………...20
2.6. Limitations of the Literature……………….…………………………….………...21
2.7. Conclusion……………….…………………………….…………………………..23
Chapter 3: Methods……………….…………………………….…………………………..24
3.1. Procedures & Data Collection…….……………………………….……………...24
3.1.1. Informal computer-based questionnaire...…….……………………………24
3.1.2. Existing literature ………………….……………………………………….27
3.1.2.1. Inclusions and exclusions criteria.…………………………………27
3.1.2.2. Current models.…………………………………………………….28
3.1.2.3. Reviewed health promotion strategies...…………………………...28
3.2. Ethical Considerations...……………………………...……………………………29
3.3 Limitations...……………………………....……………………………………......29
Chapter 4: Results……………...………………………………………...………………….31
4.1. Oncologists Feedback from Informal Questionnaire…………….…………………31
4.2 Recommendations Found Throughout the Literature……....……………………….32
4.2.1. An open dialogue. ……………………………………………………………32
4.2.2. Increased cancer knowledge.………………………………………………….33
4.2.3. Support through therapy and peers.…………………………………………...33
4.2.4. Positive coping through mindfulness-based practices.………………………..34
4.2.5. Recommendation summary.…………………………………………………...35
4.3. Finding the Right Mental Health Resource……....………………………………….35
4.4. Utilizing the Right Health Promotion Approaches……....………………………….36
4.5. Conclusion……...………………………………………...………………………....37
Chapter 5: Discussion……...………………………………………...………………...…….39
5.1. Current State of Support…………………...………………………………………..39
5.2. Encouraging Results for Intervention Studies…………...…………………………..40
5.3. Bridging the Gap in Mental Health Support…………...…………………………….41
5.4. Recommendations and Future Directions…………...……………………………...43
5.4.1. Content and language variability.……....…………………………….43
5.4.2. Understanding the long-term outcomes...…………………………….44
5.4.3. Accounting for socioeconomic disparities……………………………44
5.4.4. Additional support….……………….………………………………...45
5.4.5. Cancer care modifications.…………………………………………....45
5.5. Limitations……...………………………………………...………………………...46
5.6. Conclusion……...………………………………………...………………………...47
References……...………………………………………...………………………................49
Appendix 1: Oncologist Informal Computer-Based Questionnaire……...………………....57
Appendix 2: Mental Health Booklet...………………………………………...…………....59
Appendix 3: Mental Health Pamphlet...………………………………………...………..…94
About this Master's Thesis
| School | |
|---|---|
| Department | |
| Degree | |
| Submission | |
| Language |
|
| Research Field | |
| Keyword | |
| Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor |
Primary PDF
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Addressing the Mental Health Impacts of a Mother’s Breast Cancer on Her Adolescent Daughter(s): The Development of Mental Health Resources for Adolescent Daughters () | 2020-03-16 16:27:29 -0400 |
|
Supplemental Files
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|