Adult children of mothers with breast cancer: a qualitative investigation

Abstract

To date, there is a paucity of research that addresses biopsychosocial concerns from the perspective of the children of mothers with breast cancer. The scant research that is available speaks almost solely to the psychological issues relevant to daughters of mothers with breast cancer. Thus, the purposes of the present study are to expand the current literature on the experience of daughters with breast cancer and to provide a glimpse into what it is like to be the son of a mother with this illness. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven women and two men who have had a mother with breast cancer. The data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results indicated that participants employed two primary coping styles in dealing with their mothers7 illness: approach (i.e., information- gathering, seeking support, emotional expression) and avoidance (i.e., denial, distraction, physical or emotional removal from the situation). In general, participants who utilized approach strategies appeared to experience the least negative impact on the following areas: life views and plans, health views and behaviors, body image, relationships, and sexuality. However, it was determined that the level of biopsychosocial impact also depends upon a variety of contextual and mediating factors. A Transactional Model of Children's Experience with Maternal Breast Cancer is proposed to elucidate the nature of these relationships. The present findings point to a need for further development of psychological interventions for children (both male and female) of mothers with breast cancer.