Emotional Wellbeing
Emotional Wellbeing
Embedded Files
A child being diagnosed and treated for cancer is a very stressful time for patients and their carers, dealing with a variety of emotions, such as anxiety, sadness, or anger.
Your child's Clinical Nurse Specialist will act as your key worker and will be able to support you with your emotional wellbeing. However, there are also specialised team members, including psychologists and social workers at our hospitals across the region who can help you through particularly difficult times.
Cancer can affect the mental health and emotional wellbeing of your whole family. Many families find it challenging to deal with their emotions when a child is diagnosed with cancer. Each child and family is different and will respond to the situation in their own way. This also means that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to deal with your emotions. You should do whatever works for you and your family.
For parents
For parents
Finding out your child has cancer may leave you feeling shocked and numb. You may also feel angry, sad, guilty, afraid or in denial. All these feelings are perfectly normal.
The diagnosis can be very difficult to come to terms with, and the uncertainty of what the future holds for your child is challenging. The decisions ahead of you may seem frightening and overwhelming. You might wonder if you’re capable of making the decisions required. Again, all these feelings are perfectly normal.
It will take time to understand all the information you have been given, but your Clinical Nurse Specialist is there to support you and answer all your questions.
For your child with cancer
For your child with cancer
It’s important to allow your child to feel and and express their emotions: they need to feel that they can talk to you about what they’re going through. Being honest with each other about fears and feelings can help your family’s wellbeing and ability to cope.
Children live in the ‘here and now’ and will want to play and join in activities as usual. This makes them incredibly resilient during cancer treatment.
To support this resilience:
stick to normal routines and set your usual boundaries
provide comfort and make them feel secure and optimistic.
Missing school and disrupted friendships are common and upsetting since school and friends play such an important role in social development. Young Lives Vs Cancer has some advice on How can my child stay in touch with school friends during treatment
For your other children
For your other children
Having a brother or sister with cancer can be a frightening experience for your other children. They might feel a range of emotions similar to your own. However, they may not express those feelings in the same way. The way they respond to these emotions will depend on their age and maturity level.
Focusing on your child with cancer may also leave your other children feeling excluded and left out, even jealous. This is especially true during the early stages when you have to spend a lot of time at hospital or going to appointments.
Talk to your other children and give them as much information as possible. Include them in family discussions and decisions and maintain their normal activities and routines as much as possible.
Caring for brothers and sisters when your child has cancer (Young Lives vs Cancer)
Supporting brothers and sisters (Cancer Research UK)
More information
Your emotional health (Young Lives vs Cancer)
Lennox Childrens Cancer Fund - offers practical, financial and emotional support to families affected by childhood cancer including respite breaks, financial grants and support groups.
Rainbow Trust - provides emotional and practical support to families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness through support workers.
What? Why? Children in Hospital - anxiety support resources for children and parents.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse