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Gender differences in the psychosocial experience of parents of children with cancer: a review of the literature.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Clarke, NE; McCarthy, MC; Downie, P; Ashley, DM; Anderson, VA
Published in: Psychooncology
September 2009

OBJECTIVE: To build a descriptive literature base of investigated and identified gender differences in the psychosocial experience of parents of children with cancer, in order to guide future research in this area. METHODS: An extensive literature search was conducted using Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL and EMBASE databases. Thirty papers were included in the review. Themes from these papers were identified, and on this basis, the review findings were grouped according to five main outcome categories: role perceptions, illness beliefs, psychological distress, coping strategies and perceptions of marital, family and child functioning. RESULTS: Few gender differences were found in perceptions of marital, family and child functioning. There was a tendency toward traditional gender roles in the division of parental tasks. Findings in relation to parent psychological distress and preferred coping strategies were mixed, with trends toward increased distress, more emotion-focused coping and greater social support-seeking in mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies using longitudinal designs with solid theoretical groundings will provide valuable information on the unique psychosocial experiences of mothers and fathers throughout the child's illness, which may in turn guide the development of evidence-based interventions.

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Published In

Psychooncology

DOI

EISSN

1099-1611

Publication Date

September 2009

Volume

18

Issue

9

Start / End Page

907 / 915

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Support
  • Parent-Child Relations
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Neoplasms
  • Mothers
  • Marriage
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Gender Identity
  • Female
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Clarke, N. E., McCarthy, M. C., Downie, P., Ashley, D. M., & Anderson, V. A. (2009). Gender differences in the psychosocial experience of parents of children with cancer: a review of the literature. Psychooncology, 18(9), 907–915. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1515
Clarke, Naomi E., Maria C. McCarthy, Peter Downie, David M. Ashley, and Vicki A. Anderson. “Gender differences in the psychosocial experience of parents of children with cancer: a review of the literature.Psychooncology 18, no. 9 (September 2009): 907–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1515.
Clarke NE, McCarthy MC, Downie P, Ashley DM, Anderson VA. Gender differences in the psychosocial experience of parents of children with cancer: a review of the literature. Psychooncology. 2009 Sep;18(9):907–15.
Clarke, Naomi E., et al. “Gender differences in the psychosocial experience of parents of children with cancer: a review of the literature.Psychooncology, vol. 18, no. 9, Sept. 2009, pp. 907–15. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/pon.1515.
Clarke NE, McCarthy MC, Downie P, Ashley DM, Anderson VA. Gender differences in the psychosocial experience of parents of children with cancer: a review of the literature. Psychooncology. 2009 Sep;18(9):907–915.
Journal cover image

Published In

Psychooncology

DOI

EISSN

1099-1611

Publication Date

September 2009

Volume

18

Issue

9

Start / End Page

907 / 915

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Support
  • Parent-Child Relations
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Neoplasms
  • Mothers
  • Marriage
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Gender Identity
  • Female