Place of sick peers in adolescents and young adults with cancer: a study of social support, negative life events and peer mourning processes (PAIRS-AJA)

Adolescent and Young Adult (AJA) programs attempt to meet the psychosocial and developmental needs specific to this population. In addition, social support plays a major role in AJA's psychological adjustment and adaptation to cancer. However, being with other sick AJAs, one of the risks is being confronted with the death of a peer.

Our study aims to investigate perceived social support and its effects on psychological adjustment among French AJAs hospitalized in an AJA facility, whether in a dedicated unit or not; to explore psychological adjustment as a function of positive or negative events affecting sick peers; and to describe the phenomenon of mourning for a sick peer.

To do this, we included 85 patients (aged 15-27), with a cancer diagnosis or recurrence. Recruitment took place at two French Cancer Centers: the Curie Institute in Paris and the Léon Bérard Center in Lyon. As the study is mixed-method and longitudinal (still ongoing), participants will fill in questionnaires (anxiety-depressive symptomatology, social support, coping strategies, etc.) every 3 months during treatment, then 3 and 6 months after the end of treatment. A research interview using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) will be offered to AJAs mourning the death of a sick peer. At the end of the longitudinal follow-up, AJAs will be systematically offered a research interview in order to explore in greater detail the place and impact of peers during and after medical care.

Link to theses.fr: https://www.theses.fr/s226624

Thesis defended December 8, 2023