Abstract
There is limited research on young adults (YAs) living with cancer and even less concerning those with metastatic/advanced disease. The purpose of this scoping review was to map and summarize the current state of empirical research on the psychosocial experiences of YAs living with metastatic/advanced cancer, highlighting gaps in the published literature. This study was guided by Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodology. MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched in consultation with a medical research librarian, for English-language articles published until June 2018. Three key journals were hand-searched along with the first 100 hits on Google Scholar. In addition, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses was searched for dissertations published until February 2018. Two authors independently screened titles/abstracts to identify articles for full text review. Data were extracted on study characteristics and outcomes related to the guiding review question. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and identify overarching themes. Summary statistics were reported. The search strategy retrieved 2846 published articles. After reviewing 47 in full text, 10 studies were eligible for inclusion. The results from the included studies fell into four themes: (1) search to make meaning of their illness; (2) patient-provider relationships; (3) mental health and psychosocial well-being; and (4) interventions. Research concerning the psychosocial experiences of YAs living with metastatic/advanced cancer is limited. The authors provide four recommendations as a starting point for further research. Understanding the patient experience is imperative for designing effective health policies, programs, and interventions for this population.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 145-156 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:E.K.D. is a Killam Laureate whose doctoral work is supported by the Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Graduate Scholarship and the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health and Faculty of Graduate Studies at Dalhousie University. She is a trainee in the Cancer Research Training Program of the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, with funds provided by the Terry Fox Research Institute and the GIVETOLIVE Donald Francis MacDougall, PhD award.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2020.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Oncology
