Having a parent with cancer: an examination of the ways children cope and how the family system is affected

Current statistics estimate that 75% of families will experience a diagnosis of cancer in a family member at some juncture of the family life cycle. In addition, medical and mental health care professionals have begun to realize that cancer impacts not only patients, but their family members (Veach & Nicholas, 1998; Rait & Lederberg, 1989). Much of the research to date has focused on how patients and their spouses cope and perceive their family environment, with relatively little attention paid to the college-age children of patients. Furthermore, of the studies that have examined the children of cancer patients, many have had small sample sizes and lacked comparison and control groups (Kahle & Jones, 1999). Thus, additional research is needed to better understand the impact of having a parent with cancer on variables of coping and the family environment and compare these results with those from children who have had a parent with another chronic illness and children whose families do not have a history of any chronic illness. The current study contributes to the literature by comparing the college-age children of cancer patients with the college-age children of heart disease patients and college students who do not have a history of any chronic illness within their immediate families on variables of coping, current functioning, and perceptions of the family environment. The current sample consisted of 89 college students who reported having a parent with cancer, 25 students who had a parent with heart disease, 6 with parent(s) with both cancer and heart disease, and 169 participants who denied any type of chronic illness in their immediate families. A series of MANOVAs were conducted to explore the differences in coping, family environment, and current functioning between the parent with cancer, parent with heart disease, parent(s) with both cancer and heart disease, and no illness groups. The impact of the current stage of parental illness, stage of the family life cycle at diagnosis, and whether or not the family sought counseling to help them cope with the parental illness on variables of coping, current functioning, and the family environment were also explored.