Impact of Parents Cancer on Family Communication Models from Adolescents' Perspective

Background: Cancer is a common and fatal disease that affects family members, especially adolescents, and causes changes in family communication patterns Objectives: To investigate the impact of parental cancer on family communication patterns from the adolescents' perspective. Methods: The present study was a descriptive correlational study conducted on one hundred adolescents with parents with cancer who were selected by available sampling method. The research instruments were a demographic questionnaire and a revised standard questionnaire of the Ritchie and Fitzpatrick family communication model. The information was analysed using S.P.S.S. version 16 software and descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and correlation coefficient. Results: The proportion of consensual communication in the family was lowest (3%) and the proportion of laissez-faire communication in the family was highest (58%). The correlation is inverse in the number of children and in the range of treatment level, and a significant direct correlation is observed in the range of family communication pattern and child rank, but in other cases, the correlation coefficient shows no significant communication (p< 0/05). Conclusion: From the adolescents' perspective, most families whose parents have cancer move toward a laissez-faire family. In these families, there is a low level of conversation and harmony, there is little interaction between family members, and usually only a limited number of topics are discussed. Therefore, the importance of family communication during this time, especially with adolescents, should be emphasized through appropriate education of families whose parents have cancer.