ERIC Number: EJ881300
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1052-2158
EISSN: N/A
"It Should Have Been Happening to Me": The Psychosocial Issues Older Caregiving Mothers Experience
Raveis, Victoria H.; Pretter, Sheindy; Carrero, Monique
Journal of Family Social Work, v13 n2 p131-148 2010
The occurrence of cancer is an event of significant importance to family functioning. The present analysis reports on an understudied group profoundly affected by this health event: older mothers caring for an adult child with cancer. As part of a study of breast cancer survivors and their family caregivers, a subsample (N = 13) of older caregiving mothers (mean age 68) participated in focused interviews. The interviews, conducted in English or Spanish, were audio-taped, transcribed, and subjected to content analysis. Analyses of the mothers' accounts elucidate complex psychosocial reactions to their adult daughters' cancer diagnosis that are informed by life-cycle considerations. These reactions, which include a reawakening of maternal behavior, a need to come to terms with the asynchronous nature of their daughters' health event, and an intense feeling of personal responsibility, illustrate the need for family-centered care in oncology.
Descriptors: Mothers, Daughters, Cancer, Caregivers, Oncology, Content Analysis, Older Adults, Interviews, English, Spanish, Audio Equipment, Adults, Clinical Diagnosis, Parent Child Relationship, Family (Sociological Unit)
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A