Do Diagnóstico ao Pós-Tratamento do Cancro Pediátrico: Envolvimento Parental, Coping e Dinâmicas Familiares

Abstract

Paediatric cancer constitutes an especially disruptive experience, given the unexpected confrontation with the imminence of death and the complex emotional management and family dynamics that arise from it. The aim of this study was to understand how parental figures adapt their pre-diagnosis parenting styles, reorganize parental roles and resort to different coping strategies. From diagnosis, through the treatment process, to its completion, a timeline is outlined across these stages, in which the presence of the nuclear family remains continuous. The sample included 10 fathers and 5 mothers of a total of 10 childhood cancer survivors whose treatment ended 5 years ago or less. The research followed a qualitative methodology. drawing on content analysis and thematic analysis of the material collected through semi-structured individual interviews. The results indicate maternal predominance in daily care and the attribution of a peripheral role to the father figure, essentially sustained by economic and legislative factors, emotional bonds and gender patterns. The latter also extends to emotional regulation systems, contributing to the inhibition of feelings in favour of family protection. This study has limitations, namely the small sample size. Nevertheless, it reinforces the importance of recognizing gender specificities in the context of parenting in paediatric oncology and highlights the need for differentiated support strategies, tailored to the different stages of the disease and the particularities of each parent.