Applicability of the Integrative framework of stress and coping to the experiences of mothers of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in the developing world

[摘要] English: The diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in children is a distressing experience that has been associated with caregiver strain and decreased parental well-being. A large proportion of mothers caring for children receiving treatment for ALL live in low-and middle-income countries. The contextual challenges these individuals face, as well as the specific coping strategies they employ have received scant research attention. Similarly, no attempt appears to have been made to apply existing theoretical perspectives on stress and coping to the understanding of these women's experiences. Consequently, the current study aimed to explore the applicability of an Integrative Framework of Stress and Coping (IFSC) within the context of mothers caring for a child undergoing maintenance treatment for ALL in a developing country. A multiple case study design was employed, and six participants were recruited from the database of a paediatric oncology unit at a large academic hospital. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the mothers and deductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results suggest that mothers in the current study experienced significant contextual (environmental) challenges in the form of cultural power imbalances and socioeconomic difficulties. Dispositional factors, together with participants' historical backgrounds, appeared to influence their appraisals of the diagnosis and disease trajectory which, in turn, impacted their ability to effectively cope as caregivers. Passive coping seemed a customary stress response for these women that did little in terms of promoting their well-being. In general, participants seemed to predominantly experience poor psychological health. Findings from this study suggest that the IFSC holds utility for the conceptualisation of both individual components and integrative processes influencing maternal coping with paediatric cancer in a developing world context.

[发布机构] University of the Free State