Wilde, Mirthe de (2025) Van diagnose tot afscheid: Communicatie met kinderen onder de 12 jaar en emotiegerichte coping tijdens het ziekteproces van een moeder met een oncologische aandoening. Bachelor thesis, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences.
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Abstract
Each year, 9.000 children are confronted with a parent diagnosed with cancer. While communication is considered a potential protective factor for children's emotional well-being, little is known about how parents shape communication with their children during this process. This qualitative study explores how mothers with cancer communicate with their children under 12, based on two autobiographical documents, as part of emotion-focused coping within the transactional theory of stress and coping (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), across the stages of diagnosis, treatment, and end-of-life preparation. A thematic analysis was conducted on The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs (2017) and Dear Cancer by Victoria Derbyshire (2017). The results show that in the diagnosis phase, mothers use avoidance to postpone difficult conversations. They eventually share the diagnosis, after first regulating their emotions and considering what tone to use. During treatment, mothers alternate between clear communication with their children and softening or avoiding terms like ‘cancer’. Emotions are addressed differently: one mother acknowledges and discusses emotions with her children, while the other offers physical closeness when emotions arise. As one mother approached the end of life, her impending death was briefly discussed with her children, while comfort was primarily provided through closeness. No explicit farewell occurred, possibly due to the relatively unexpected time of passing. The findings reflect the transactional nature of coping (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), in which mothers’ assessments of the situation shaped their communication strategies with their children. Future research should include diverse family structures, the perspectives of fathers and children.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Brouwer, J. and Renting, N. |
| Degree programme: | Pedagogical and Educational Sciences |
| Differentiation route: | Orthopedagogiek [Bachelor Pedagogical and Educational Sciences] |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Jun 2025 09:46 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Jun 2025 12:47 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5035 |
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