title: Experience of siblings of children treated for cancer.
abstract: The aim was to obtain an understanding of the experience in everyday life of being a sibling when a brother or sister is receiving treatment for a cancer disease or has completed treatment. In order to illuminate the experience of the siblings themselves a phenomenological-hermeneutic method was used. Ten siblings were asked, in the form of a broad-based, open question, to tell about their experience of being the sibling of a brother or sister in this situation. There was an awareness of sibling-ship as a special relation since the brother or sister had got cancer. This feeling was very strong and close, and when needed the sibling admitted a protective and advocacy role. The siblings felt difficulties to always be loyal with the brother or sister needs and demands from other interests. They lived a new life and periods of ups and down following the condition of the brother or sister. Everyday life varied from joy to a life filled with worries and anxiety. Siblings experienced feelings of an existential nature, such as quality of life and death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Oncology, Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, SE-416 85 Göteborg, Sweden. margaretha.nolbris@vgregion.se
authors.forename: Margaretha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nolbris
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Enskär
authors.forename: Anna-Lena
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hellström
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005086:Existentialism / Q000523:psychology; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012380:Role; D012801:Sibling Relations; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden