Psychological impact of childhood cancers
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Examining the psychological impact of childhood cancers on young adults and their lived experiences.
IRAS ID
261045
Contact name
Jessica Pope
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Edge Hill University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
The primary aim of this research is to examine the psychological effect that cancer has on adolescents and young adults who are in early post-treatment. Cancers in adolescents and young adults are uncommon, they make up less than 1% of all cancers diagnosed per year. However, due to emerging treatments the number of survivors is constantly increasing. Over 80% of adolescents and young adults who are diagnosed with cancers go on to survive for five years or more.
However, when these young adults have finished their treatment and can return to the lives they held prior to their diagnosis and treatment, there is the potential for them to experience a number of physical and mental health problems. Although there is a large body of emerging research examining how young people deal with their experiences of cancer, there is a lack of agreement on the key issues they face and how difficult it is for young people and young adults to deal with them. Cancer treatment can leave young people being unable to recognise the person they see in the mirror: they may have lost or gained weight, have scars from lines and surgeries, and in some cases have lost limbs. The current evidence does not adequately explain what effect cancer, and the treatment young people receive, has on young people’s mental health.
This research will examine the extent to which cancer related experiences affect individual psychological functioning and young people’s sense of identity, as well as how a cancer diagnosis, treatment and adjustment to life post-treatment impacts on the psychological functioning of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Do survivors of AYA cancers view themselves differently now in comparison to who they were before they developed cancer? Do they feel they have changed?REC name
South East Scotland REC 02
REC reference
19/SS/0129
Date of REC Opinion
3 Jan 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion