ABSTRACT
The impact of a young person's cancer diagnosis extends to siblings, yet support services to address siblings' needs are limited. This study explores healthcare professionals' (HCPs') perspectives on engaging and supporting adolescent and young adult (AYA, 12-25 years) siblings of young cancer patients in hospital settings. Semi-structured interviews with nine HCPs explored participants' views on models of care, engagement and assessment of siblings, available services, barriers to care, and future directions. Participants understood the impact of cancer and need to support AYA siblings, but were unclear how these responsibilities fit in with existing models of care and clinical roles. Siblings' absence from hospitals complicated processes of engagement, assessment and provision of care, challenging some participants to engage siblings outside the clinical context. In the absence of direct contact, HCPs largely relied on patients and parents to report or refer siblings for care. Service and resource limitations further restricted the provision of support to siblings. Despite HCPs' recognition of the need to support siblings, their "invisibility," lack of standardised assessment and service constraints complicate the provision of care in hospital settings. Integrating hospital-based care with community services may better facilitate the engagement and support of AYA siblings.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Family Health , Neoplasms , Professional Role , Siblings/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Delivery of Health Care , Female , Health Services Accessibility , Hospitals , Humans , Male , Nurses , Oncologists , Psychology , Referral and Consultation , Social Support , Social Workers , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Conversations between anthropologists and psychiatrists have led to new theoretical trajectories, research agendas and clinical practices as social scientists and medical practitioners forged new understandings about the interaction of culture, personhood and illness. However, the demands of global mental health, coupled with health service provision requirements, mean that mental health interventions set up with the best intentions can fail to take into account the knowledge and expertise that social sciences can contribute to a programme's success. In this paper, I reflect on conversations between an anthropologist and mental health professionals in direct reference to data analysis of an AusAID mental health capacity-building programme undertaken in the Pacific region. CONCLUSIONS: Social and cultural perspectives embedded within programmes can provide richer, more contextualised interventions. In drawing on the combined expertise of anthropology and psychiatry, new taken-for-granted reference points embedding cultural approaches form the basis for delivery of global mental health programmes. These perspectives include: Locating mental health programmes within development critiques. Situating the subjects of development within contextualised settings, acknowledging and respecting local knowledge, understandings and practices. A focus on interdisciplinarity as the basis for future practice in global mental health projects.
