title: Symptoms, coping, and quality of life in pediatric brain tumor survivors: a qualitative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the symptom experience, coping strategies, and children's descriptions of their quality of life (QOL) after treatment for a brain tumor.
  
  
  METHODS
  An interpretive descriptive qualitative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pediatric hospital setting in Ontario, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  12 children aged 9-18 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Content analysis of semistructured interviews was guided by interpretive description methodology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children described symptoms including feeling tired, pain, headaches, emotional problems, difficulty thinking and remembering, problems with sleep, physical problems, and weight changes. Symptoms interfered with physical activity, keeping up with school, maintaining appearances, and communication. Coping strategies included reconditioning, taking breaks, taking medication, challenging themselves, volunteering, maintaining friendships, laughing, and using aids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survivors experienced multiple symptoms that had an effect on their life, but overall, they described good QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caregivers need to understand the complexity of their patient's symptom experience and its impact on his or her daily life. Coping strategies can be identified to help mitigate potentially negative QOL outcomes.
authors: Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Canada.
authors: Gail
authors: G
authors: Macartney
authors: Patient Decision Aids Research Group in the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa in Canada.
authors: Dawn
authors: D
authors: Stacey
authors: Nursing Group, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada.
authors: Margaret B
authors: MB
authors: Harrison
authors: School of Nursing and the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Queen's University.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: VanDenKerkhof
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D005221:Fatigue / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009859:Oncology Nursing; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology
keywords: neurologic malignancies; nursing research qualitative; pediatric oncology; quality of life; survivorship