The Development of Parent Support Group Program in Young Adult Cancer Care

Abstract

Purpose:

There is increasing recognition of the critical need to support informal caregivers of young adults with cancer, including parents. Given the unique developmental needs of young adults, cancer diagnosis and treatment have a profound impact on their parents. However, there is limited psychosocial support provided to parents of young adults with cancer to date.

Methods:

Following a program improvement framework, a virtual six-session parent support group curriculum was developed and adapted to provide specialized psychosocial care to parents of young adults receiving cancer care in 2025. The participants provided feedback and completed an evaluation.

Results:

Thirty-four parents (85% female) of young adults participated, with 19 (55%) completing the evaluation. The majority of participants evaluated the program as accessible (95%) and relevant (84%) to the parent’s shared concerns and experiences. The program was highly rated as supportive (95%) engaging (100%) and was unanimously recommended to other parents (100%). Additionally, parents reported feeling more connected to others (79%), empowered with knowledge (90%), and an improved perceived capacity (79%) to navigate the unique concerns related to their young adult’s cancer.

Conclusion:

This novel parent program has the potential to address the distinct psychosocial needs among parents, which are currently overlooked in existing models of young adult cancer care.