Poster Presentation 2025 Joint Meeting of the COSA ASM and IPOS Congress

“Talk to Us”: Co-Developing Interventions for Adolescents Living With a Mother With Breast Cancer (126218)

Anne Katrine Hartmann Søby 1 , Christina Maar Andersen 2 , Lotte Huniche 3 , Aida Hougaard Andersen 3 , Kirsten Kaya Roessler 3 , Anja Hvidtfeldt Stanek 4
  1. Department of Oncology, University Hospital Lillebaelt, Vejle, Denmark
  2. Danish Knowledge Centre for Rehabilitation and Palliative Care, REHPA, Nyborg, Denmark
  3. Departmant of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
  4. Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark 

Objectives: Adolescents living with a mother with breast cancer are at risk of emotional distress and social isolation, but infrequently seek support. Existing interventions may not adequately address the specific needs of adolescents, creating a need for the development of relevant and meaningful supportive interventions. This study aimed to co-develop interventions for adolescents (aged 13-18) living with mothers with breast cancer.

Procedures: With an existential-phenomenological approach, utilising an experience-based co-design, a workshop was conducted with six Danish adolescents (three boys and three girls aged 14-19) whose mothers had been diagnosed with breast cancer 1½-3 years prior. The workshop consisted of group discussions and exercises designed to elicit the perspectives and preferences of adolescents regarding support. Recordings of the group discussions in the workshop were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, drawing on existing research and theory on existential psychotherapy. I-poems were conducted to give voice to the adolescents.

Findings: The adolescents underscored the need for accessible and understandable information about breast cancer and treatment and emphasised the importance of having a safe space for emotional expression and disclosure. Of suggested interventions, adolescents preferred family meetings with healthcare professionals early in the diagnostic process, potentially including separate sessions for adolescents and parents; a social media profile offering reliable information and a platform to ask questions; and support groups that incorporate social activities alongside opportunities for confidential sharing. The presence of siblings was identified as a crucial factor for adolescents' willingness to participate in supportive interventions.

Conclusion and clinical implications: Despite not requesting it, adolescents may benefit from being offered information about their mother’s breast cancer and treatment. Healthcare professionals’ engagement with and acknowledgement of parents and adolescents may support the well-being of adolescents during their mothers’ breast cancer trajectory.