Previous research has started the discussion about the impact of unmet needs on the psychosocial adjustment of well-siblings of children and youth diagnosed with cancer. The purpose of this qualitative study was to retrospectively explore the needs of adolescents who had a brother or sister, who was diagnosed with, treated for and who lived through cancer. The findings and knowledge mobilization project from this study will extend the literature and will also bring information to counsellors, social workers, doctors, nurses, cancer support agencies, parents, family members, friends, teachers, and—importantly—to well-siblings themselves. Narrative data were collected from 7 adult sisters who reflected on their adolescent-aged experience of being the well-sibling of a sister (n=4) or brother (n=3) who was diagnosed with and treated for cancer. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and 7 need-based themes identified from the data are reported. Further research is recommended, and implications from the present study are discussed. / Graduate / 0519 / 0621 / 0992 / genevievestonebridge@gmail.com

In the present study, a grounded theory approach was employed with the purpose of developing a substantive theoretical model to identify and illustrate changes in sibling relationships after pediatric bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Further investigation of the impact of sibling relationship quality on children's adaptation following this life-threatening medical procedure was examined. Two families, each consisting of a sibling dyad that included a child who received a BMT and a well sibling that ranged in age from 10-14 and a parent, participated in the study. Siblings were interviewed individually, and in the dyad, to capture an insider's view of the sibling relationship after BMT and factors that impact child adaptation to pediatric BMT. Child observational and parent survey data provided a multiple-informant and multiple-method approach which helped to foster a more complete picture of the broader family context. Findings suggest that children's sibling relationships improved after BMT, as evidenced by their building a close relationship, establishing intimacy and gaining trust, and learning to get along and settle differences better. Positive coping strategies included identifying and utilizing supports and resources, praying/prayer, making life easier for the sibling, and redefining what is important in life. Children's individual adaptation outcomes included accepting the illness, recognizing the longevity of the relationship, reducing worry/stress, and moving beyond the illness. Analyses that were grounded in the data from the present study suggest four theoretical propositions. First,children's sibling relationships have the potential for positive change after BMT. Second, close sibling relationships can serve as a buffer, or protective factor, to the adverse conditions and extremely stressful situations encountered after BMT. Third, positive changes in children's sibling relationships after BMT can positively influence children's coping strategies which may have a direct influence on children's adaptation to BMT. The fourth, and primary hypothesis, suggests that positive changes in children's sibling relationships after BMT potentiate new coping strategies in the dyad that are more facilitative to child adaptation than managing stress on one's own. Findings add to the general knowledge on sibling relationships and shed light on the complexities of children's sibling relationships when one child is severely ill.