The routine and mental health of hospitalized children with cancer: family perspectives.

Abstract

Objective: To understand the routine and implications on the mental health of hospitalized children with cancer, from the perspective of family members.

Method: Qualitative research, carried out with 11 relatives of children hospitalized in an oncopediatric inpatient unit, during the month of September 2022. The information was produced through semi-structured interviews and was analyzed according to Minayo's Thematic Analysis, emerging two categories: "The child's routine during hospitalization" and "The child's mental health during hospitalization".

Results: In the child's routine, participants noticed changes caused by the hospital environment that do not coincide with family dynamics. However, the presence of the multidisciplinary team mitigates the strangeness experienced in this process. Regarding mental health, the feelings experienced by these children included anger, longing, and sadness, resulting in behaviors such as discouragement and aggression. These repercussions are associated with the child's confused understanding of their illness.

Final considerations: The perspectives of family members contributed for a reflection on the health and illness process of pediatric patients undergoing cancer treatments, as they play an essential role in care, closely monitoring everything that comes to pass in the daily lives of these children in the hospital environment.