Cancer in adolescents and young adults. Psychosocial concerns, coping strategies, and interventions.
Adolescent cancer patients present a unique challenge to health care professionals because of the impact of the disease and its treatment on the successful acquisition of age-appropriate developmental milestones, as well as the psychosocial concerns raised by the illness itself. Understanding normal adolescent development provides a framework for identifying psychosocial concerns, predicting problems, and developing appropriate interventional strategies for adolescents with cancer. A comprehensive support program with specific goals of promoting adjustment to the illness and providing a basis for community reentry by strengthening recognized coping strategies based on identified psychosocial concerns is described as a model.
Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Richland Memorial Hospital, Columbia, SC 29203.
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Ettinger
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Heiney
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003419:Crisis Intervention; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011593:Psychology, Social