About this Research Topic
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) is an intensive therapy which is used with
increasing frequency for a variety of pediatric malignant and non-malignant diseases. The therapeutic success of pediatric HSCT is improving and in the last two decades several studies have outlined the significance of Quality of Life (QoL) and psychological long-term effects of pediatric patients and their families (parents and siblings). The medical aspects of HSCT are well studied in the literature; however, less attention has been paid to psychosocial effects of HSCT on off therapy and healed childhood, adolescents and adult ex-patients. It may be useful to approach psychosocial aspects of HSCT in a developmental perspective taking into consideration the different life cycles. The communication of diagnosis of cancer and of HSCT therapeutic choice bring the patient and the family in a subjective developmental experience with a personal course and adaptation tasks. When children or familiars fail to use efficient coping and adaptation strategies, the normal development is thwarted and psychopathology often sets in. The literature so far has identified at least three “developmental and adaptation topics” in children, adolescents and adults healed from cancer and in their families: general perceived QoL, psychological functioning, and social adaptation.
This Research Topic aims to obtain information about these areas adopting several methods, qualitative and quantitative. The unique contribution consists in having a global description of mental health, emotional aspects, feelings and QoL of all the family components involved along self or parents’ reports. Other values added by this Research Topic are the assessment of both psychopathology and resilience factors and the comparisons with healthy matched peers. This Topic gives a picture of the psycho-affective and motor skills long term implications of HSCT throughout development. Another important issue developed is to understand the experiences of health professionals that work in the HSCT that participate in a therapeutic group.
The major types of manuscripts welcomed can be both research articles and commentaries on these specific topics: the perceived quality of life in HSCT childhood survivors (children, adolescents, adults), their motor skills sequelae and their possible psychopathological disturbances, also comparing them with healthy peers; but also the psychological well-being of families (parents and siblings) and their narratives and resilience factors on cancer experience.
increasing frequency for a variety of pediatric malignant and non-malignant diseases. The therapeutic success of pediatric HSCT is improving and in the last two decades several studies have outlined the significance of Quality of Life (QoL) and psychological long-term effects of pediatric patients and their families (parents and siblings). The medical aspects of HSCT are well studied in the literature; however, less attention has been paid to psychosocial effects of HSCT on off therapy and healed childhood, adolescents and adult ex-patients. It may be useful to approach psychosocial aspects of HSCT in a developmental perspective taking into consideration the different life cycles. The communication of diagnosis of cancer and of HSCT therapeutic choice bring the patient and the family in a subjective developmental experience with a personal course and adaptation tasks. When children or familiars fail to use efficient coping and adaptation strategies, the normal development is thwarted and psychopathology often sets in. The literature so far has identified at least three “developmental and adaptation topics” in children, adolescents and adults healed from cancer and in their families: general perceived QoL, psychological functioning, and social adaptation.
This Research Topic aims to obtain information about these areas adopting several methods, qualitative and quantitative. The unique contribution consists in having a global description of mental health, emotional aspects, feelings and QoL of all the family components involved along self or parents’ reports. Other values added by this Research Topic are the assessment of both psychopathology and resilience factors and the comparisons with healthy matched peers. This Topic gives a picture of the psycho-affective and motor skills long term implications of HSCT throughout development. Another important issue developed is to understand the experiences of health professionals that work in the HSCT that participate in a therapeutic group.
The major types of manuscripts welcomed can be both research articles and commentaries on these specific topics: the perceived quality of life in HSCT childhood survivors (children, adolescents, adults), their motor skills sequelae and their possible psychopathological disturbances, also comparing them with healthy peers; but also the psychological well-being of families (parents and siblings) and their narratives and resilience factors on cancer experience.
Keywords: HSCT, Childhood Cancer Survivors, Psycho-social well-being, Motor skills, Psychopathology, Quality of Life, Family, mixed-method approach
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
