Lived experiences of Jordanian mothers of children with cancer: A descriptive qualitative study

AI Summary

Mothers undergo a transformative coping journey, shifting priorities, suppressing emotions, learning resilience, and reconstructing futures while postponing personal dreams.
Caring challenges include the child's emotional irritability, disrupted family routines and daily life, and practical demands of preparing the home for recovery.
Support derives from extended family and spiritual beliefs, highlighting the need for counselling, support groups and educational resources to improve parental stress management.

World J Clin Pediatr. 2026 Jun 9;15(2):115750. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i2.115750. eCollection 2026 Jun 9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Caring for children with cancer deeply affects mothers’ daily lives, emotions, and family roles; however, to date, little has been learned about these experiences in the context of Jordan.

AIM: To examine the lived experiences of Jordanian mothers of children with cancer, with a focus on their coping mechanisms, support systems, and challenges.

METHODS: This descriptive qualitative study involved the use of semi-structured interviews with 20 mothers of children visiting a pediatric hospital in Jordan. Thematic analysis was employed, guided by the transactional model of stress and coping and the theory of spiritual coping, to analyze the resulting data.

RESULTS: Three major themes were revealed. The idea of a transformative coping journey included several subthemes, namely shifting priorities, holding back tears to appear strong, learning important lessons, and reconstructing futures while delaying personal dreams. The second emergent theme, perceived challenges, included subthemes around the emotional irritability of the sick child; the impact on family life and daily routines; and preparation of the home environment for children after recovery. Finally, the theme of support systems included subthemes regarding emotional and practical support from extended family and the use of mothers’ deep beliefs in destiny and God’s will as key sources of strength and endurance.

CONCLUSION: Developing a broad range of support services in the Jordanian context to assist parents whose children have been diagnosed with cancer is essential. Possible focuses for such programs could include the provision of counselling services, support groups, and educational resources to help parents more effectively manage stress, thereby enhancing their emotional well-being.

PMID:42220945 | PMC:PMC13217198 | DOI:10.5409/wjcp.v15.i2.115750

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