Current Research:
Impact on Family and Workplace
The Effects of Breast Cancer on Marriage
Brittany Canady, Ph.D., & Lisa Hughes
Importance
- It is long past due that researchers begin to study the effects of breast cancer on families
- Breast cancer affects marital and intimate relationships
Goals and Findings
- Examining how marriages adapt and change during breast cancer survivorship
- Looking at factors such as satisfaction with the relationship, verbal and physical abuse, and working together as a team
The Effects of a Mother’s Breast Cancer on Her Children
Mary J. Naus, Ph.D.
Importance
- Children and adolescents need to address their thoughts and feelings about their mother’s breast cancer
- Adolescent daughters seem to be particularly impacted by their mother’s breast cancer diagnosis
Goals and Findings
- Exploring attachment in the children of breast cancer survivors in order to design intervention programs to help children better deal with their mothers’ illness
- Perhaps journal writing, both paper/pencil and on the computer, may provide a way to facilitate this process
Treatment Preferences for a Dying Child
Stephanie Kovacs
Importance
- Explore the impact of child's age, type of illness, and level of consciousness on parental end-of-life decisions for a seriously ill child. Use hypothetical scenarios with college students to gather preliminary data.
Goals and Findings
- Treatment endorsements were affected by the age of the child, acute illness received stronger endorsement of treatments than chronic illness regardless of the age of the child, and the child's level of consciousness did not impact treatment decisions for children at any age.
- Replicate these findings with parents to compare mothers' and fathers' endorsements in relation to such factors as health locus of control, spirituality and emotional well-being to better help parents in these difficult times.
Breast Cancer Survivorship and Women in the Workplace
Mary J. Naus, Ph.D., Valerie Bussell, Ph.D., & Christiane Spitzmueller, Ph.D.
Importance
- More and more breast cancer survivors are continuing to work during their treatment or after their treatment is completed
- Being a cancer survivor affects job performance, job satisfaction, and career advancement opportunities
- Employers have concerns about increased health care costs, social support required on the job, absenteeism during treatment, and changes in performance abilities
Goals and Findings
- Hoping to reduce negative perceptions in the workplace and to improve workplace relationships for breast cancer survivors
The Impact of Parental Illness on Children's Quality of Life
Teona Amble
Importance
- Study the impact of parental illness on the emotional and physical well-being of children and adolescents, evaluating findings as to how they relate to parental attachment and coping strategies.
Goals and Findings
- Currently collecting college students' retrospective reports about the physical and mental health of their parents when they were in high school. Analyzing these reports in relation to the college students' views of parental attachment and their previous and current psychological and physical well-being.
- Study children of different ages who are currently experiencing parental illness in order to begin to design developmentally appropriate treatment interventions to help children develop adaptive coping strategies under these stressful life circumstances.
