The Role of Friends in Supporting Young People With Cancer: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

Objective: Peers play a crucial role in supporting wellbeing and psychosocial development for young people aged 12-25. However, a cancer experience often leads to challenges maintaining friendships. There have been no prior attempts to map or synthesise available research or resources on support specifically from friends for young people with cancer, limiting the capacity to draw conclusions or determine next steps for how to best support young people with cancer. This review aims to address this gap by mapping and synthesising the available literature and resources.

Methods: Included studies were required to obtain data from young people with a history of cancer or their friends, and have a main aim or outcome related to relationships between young people with cancer and their friends. Five databases (Medline, Web of Science, Embase, ProQuest and PsycInfo) were searched, and grey literature were sourced using three search engines (Brave Browser, DuckDuckGo, and Google).

Results: A total of 52 studies and 10 resources met inclusion criteria. Three main themes were identified within the literature (valued friendship dimensions and actions, cancer-related challenges to friendships, and changes to social needs, experiences, and outcomes). Resources for friends included education about what young people with cancer may experience, advice on supporting or talking to their friend, and encouragement for self-care.

Conclusions: Reviewed studies highlight the importance of friends support for young people with cancer, and the challenges faced. We present a future research agenda to address identified gaps, including the absence of studies exploring the perspectives and needs of friends.