Putri Carolin, Umi Hanik Fetriyah, Adriana Palimbo, Rifa'atul Mahmudah

Social support for parents of children with leukemia

Introduction

Social support for parents of children with leukemia. Explore vital social support for parents of children with leukemia. Understand how family, friends, and close networks provide crucial emotional and instrumental support to help parents cope with long-term treatment stress and improve their quality of life.

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of children with leukemia tends to increase. Leukemia treatment requires a long period of time which has physical, psychological and social impacts on children and parents which affect their quality of life. Social support obtained protects parents in facing times of stress. Objective: To determine social support for parents who have children with leukemia. Method: Quantitative research type. The research sample consisted of 30 respondents taken using convenient sampling techniques. Data collection instrument using a questionnaire. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics. Results: The majority of parents who have children with leukemia are over 35 years old (73.3%), have elementary education (43.3%), work as housewives (53.3%), and most parental category is mothers (80.0%). Mean value of social support (66.43), highest social support category (76.7%). Social support questionnaire items are highest in the family dimension of form of emotional support and lowest form of emotional support. Friend dimension is lowest form of instrumental support and highest form of emotional support. The dimension of closest person is the highest form of emotional support and lowest is the form of instrumental support. Conclusion: Social support from family, friends, and close people is needed for parents who have children with leukemia. Because it can provide positive energy for parents and children, the attention, security, and comfort provided can increase their confidence. Recommendations for friends and parents to provide instrumental support in form of being ready to help parents who have children with leukemia when experiencing difficulties both facilities and material.

Review

This study addresses a critically important and timely topic: social support for parents of children with leukemia. Given the increasing prevalence of childhood leukemia and the profound, long-term physical, psychological, and social challenges faced by affected families, understanding the mechanisms of support is paramount. The clear objective to determine social support levels and sources for these parents is well-articulated, and the use of a quantitative descriptive approach provides a foundational snapshot of this complex issue. The study correctly highlights the protective role of social support in mitigating parental stress, thus setting a relevant context for its inquiry. While the study makes an initial valuable contribution, there are several methodological aspects that warrant discussion. The reliance on convenient sampling with a relatively small sample size (n=30) inherently limits the generalizability of the findings, suggesting that the results might be highly specific to the study's immediate context. Although descriptive statistics are appropriate for the stated objective, the abstract's presentation of results regarding the "highest" and "lowest" forms of support across different dimensions (family, friend, closest person) could be more clearly articulated. A more detailed breakdown of these specific types of support and their prevalence, perhaps in a structured table, would enhance clarity and offer more actionable insights into parental needs. Further detail on the validation and reliability of the questionnaire used would also strengthen confidence in the data collected. Despite these limitations, the study's conclusion strongly reinforces the indispensable role of social support from family, friends, and close individuals for parents navigating the leukemia journey. The recommendation for instrumental support from friends and family – being ready to provide practical and material assistance – is particularly insightful and offers direct, actionable advice for support networks. This research serves as a valuable preliminary step, underscoring the necessity of comprehensive support systems. Future studies should aim for larger, more diverse samples, potentially employing mixed-methods approaches to gain deeper qualitative insights into the *nature* and *perception* of social support, and explore the correlation between specific types of support and improved parental coping, mental health outcomes, or even child well-being.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.