Types and Influence of Social Support on School Engagement of Young Survivors of Leukemia

Abstract

The present study aimed to describe and explore the influence of social support on the school engagement of young survivors of pediatric leukemia. Fifty-three young Quebecers, previously diagnosed and treated for leukemia, completed a questionnaire measuring their school engagement and participated in an interview focusing on the support offered by four groups of relations with regard to school: parents, siblings, friends, and other nonprofessional relations. The interview responses revealed that parents were perceived to be the primary source of informational and emotional support, with support also provided to a lesser extent by friends, siblings, and members of the extended family. Inferential analyses indicated that young survivors report a higher school engagement score when they perceive themselves as receiving support from a greater number of groups of relations, especially from friends or siblings.

Keywords

pediatric oncology leukemia psychosocial aspects of cancer survivorship social support school engagement school nursing

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alderfer

M. A.

Long

K. A.

Lown

E. A.

Marsland

A. L.

Ostrowski

N. L.

Hock

J. M.

Ewing

L. J.

(2010). Psychosocial adjustment of siblings of children with cancer: A systematic review. Psycho-Oncology, 19, 789–805. doi:10.1002/pon.1638

Anderson

A. R.

Christenson

S. L.

Sinclair

M. F.

Lehr

C. A.

(2004). Check & connect: The importance of relationships for promoting engagement with school. Journal of School Psychology, 42, 95–113. doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2004.01.002

Appleton

J. J.

Christenson

S. L.

Furlong

M. J.

(2008). Student engagement with school: Critical conceptual and methodological issues of the construct. Psychology in the Schools, 45, 369–386. doi:10.1002/pits.20303

Aubin

Lavallée

Camirand

Audet

Beauvais

Berthiaume

(1999). Health and social survey of Quebec children and youth. Québec, QC (Canada): Institut de la Statistique du Québec.

Barrera

Shaw

A. K.

Speechley

K. N.

Maunsell

Pogany

(2005). Educational and social late effects of childhood cancer and related clinical, personal, and familial characteristics. Cancer, 104, 1751–1760. doi:10.1002/cncr.21390

Beauchemin

(1986). Le dépistage des décrocheurs scolaires. Canadian Journal of Education, 11, 152–173.

Beauchemin

Lemire

(1991). L’abandon scolaire: Valeur prédictive d’un instrument. Canadian Journal of Education, 16, 1–11.

Berndt

T. J.

Keefe

(1995). Friends’ influence on adolescents’ adjustment to school. Child Development, 66, 1312–1329. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.1995.tb00937.x

Bessell

A. G.

(2001). Children surviving cancer: Psychosocial adjustment, quality of life, and school experiences. Exceptional Children, 67, 345–359. doi:10.1177/001440290106700304

10.

Björk

Nordström

Wiebe

Hallström

(2011). Returning to a changed ordinary life–families’ lived experience after completing a child’s cancer treatment. European Journal of Cancer Care, 20, 163–169. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2354.2009.01159.x

11.

Boman

K. K.

Bodegård

(2004). Life after cancer in childhood: Social adjustment and educational and vocational status of young-adult survivors. Journal of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, 26, 354–362. doi:10.1097/00043426-200406000-0000

12.

Bronfenbrenner

(1979). The ecology of human development. Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

13.

Bronfenbrenner

(2001). The bioecological theory of human development. In Smelser

N. J.

Baltes

P. B.

(Eds.), International encyclopedia of the social and behavioral sciences (Vol. 10, pp. 6963–6970). New York, NY: Elsevier Science.

14.

Brown

Madan-Swain

Lambert

(2003). Postraumatic stress symptoms in adolescent survivors of childhood cancer and their mothers. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 16, 309–318. doi:10.1023/a:1024465415620

15.

Bryant

(1989). The child’s perspective of sibling care taking and its relevance to understanding social-emotional functioning and development. In Zukow

P. G.

(Ed.), Sibling interaction across cultures: Theoretical and methodological issues (pp. 143–164). New York, NY: Springer-Verlag.

16.

Buchbinder

Casillas

Krull

K. R.

Goodman

Leisenring

Recklitis

… Zeltzer

L. K.

(2011). Psychological outcomes of siblings of cancer survivors: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Psycho-Oncology, 20, 1259–1268. doi:10.1002/pon.1848

17.

Buizer

A. I.

de Sonneville

L. M. J.

van den Heuvel-Eibrink

M. M.

Veerman

A. J. P.

(2005). Chemotherapy and attentional dysfunction in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Effect of treatment intensity. Pediatric Blood Cancer, 45, 281–290. doi:10.1002/pbc.20397

18.

Bullock

(2004). Family social support. Conceptual frameworks for nursing practice to promote and protect health. In Bomar

P. J.

(Ed.), Promoting health in families. Applying family research and theory to nursing practice (pp. 142–161). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.

19.

Canadian Cancer Society’s Advisory Committee on Cancer Statistics. (2015). Canadian Cancer Statistics 2015. Toronto, ON: Canadian Cancer Society.

20.

Cantrell

M. A.

(2007). Health-related quality of life in childhood cancer: State of the science. Oncology Nursing Forum, 34, 103–111. doi:10.1188/07

21.

Castellano-Tejedor

Pérez-Campdepadros

Capdevila

Blasco-Blasco

(2014). Surviving cancer: The psychosocial outcomes of childhood cancer survivors and its correlates. Journal of Health Psychology. doi:10.1177/1359105314557503

22.

Chekryn

Deegan

Reid

(1986). Normalizing the return to school of the child with cancer. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 3, 20–24; 34. doi:10.1080/10459880109603338

23.

Cloutier

Champoux

Jacques

Chamberland

(1994). Ados, familles et milieu de vie: La parole aux ados! Québec, Canada: Bureau québécois de l’année internationale de la famille, Association des Centres jeunesse du Québec, Centre de recherche sur les services communautaires de l’Université Laval.

24.

Csikszentmihalyi

Larson

(1984). Being adolescent. New York, NY: Basic Books.

25.

Daly

B. P.

Kral

M. C.

Brown

R. T.

(2008). Cognitive and academic problems associated with childhood cancers and sickle cell disease. School Psychology Quarterly, 23, 230–242. doi:10.1037/1045-3830.23.2.230

26.

Decker

C. L.

(2007). Social support and adolescent cancer survivors: A review of the literature. Psycho-Oncology, 16, 1–11. doi:10.1002/pon.1073

27.

Derevensky

J. L.

Tsanos

A. P.

Handman

(1998). Children with cancer: An examination of their coping and adaptive behavior. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 16, 37–61. doi:10.1300/j077v16n01_03

28.

Dockett

Perry

(2013). Siblings and buddies: Providing expert advice about starting school. International Journal of Early Years Education, 21, 348–361. doi:10.1080/09669760.2013.867837

29.

Domaison

Sordes-Ader

Jutras

Labbé

Esbelin

Levallois

… Molia

(2009). L’adaptation des enfants au cancer de leur frère ou de leur soeur. Psycho-Oncologie, 3, 7–12. doi:10.1007/s11839-009-0118-0

30.

Dunsmore

Quine

(1995). Information, support, and decision-making needs and preferences of adolescents with cancer: Implications for health professionals. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 13, 39–56. doi:10.1300/j077v13n04_03

31.

Eiser

(2004). Back to normal; impact on schooling. In Eiser

(Ed.), Children with cancer (pp. 80–97). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

32.

Ellison

L. F.

Prithwish

Mery

L. S.

Grundy

P. E.

(2009). Canadian cancer statistics at a glance: Cancer in children. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 180, 422–424. doi:10.1503/cmaj.081155

33.

Epstein

J. L.

(1983). The influence of friends on achievement and affective outcomes. In Epstein

J. L.

Karweit

(Eds.), Friends in school (pp. 177–200). New York, NY: Academic Press.

34.

Finfgeld-Connett

(2005). Clarification of social support. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 37, 4–9. doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.2005.00004.x

35.

Finfgeld-Connett

(2007). Concept comparison of caring and social support. International Journal of Nursing Terminologies and Classifications, 18, 58–68. doi:10.1111/j.1744-618X.2007.00051.x

36.

Finn

J. D.

Rock

D. A.

(1997). Academic success among students at risk for school failure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 221–234. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.82.2.221

37.

Fredricks

J. A.

Blumenfeld

P. C.

Paris

A. H.

(2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74, 59–109. doi:10.3102/00346543074001059

38.

Furrer

Skinner

(2003). Sense of relatedness as a factor in children’s academic engagement and performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 148–162. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.95.1.148

39.

Garcia-Reid

(2007). Examining social capital as a mechanism for improving school engagement among low income Hispanic girls. Youth Society, 39, 164–181. doi:10.1177/0044118x07303263

40.

Garcia-Reid

Reid

R. J.

Peterson

N. A.

(2005). School engagement among Latino youth in an urban middle school context: Valuing the role of social support. Education and Urban Society, 37, 257–275. doi:10.1177/0013124505275534

41.

Gerhardt

C. A.

Dixon

Miller

Vannatta

Valerius

K. S.

Correll

… Noll

R. B.

(2007). Educational and occupational outcomes among survivors of childhood cancer during the transition to emerging adulthood. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 28, 448–455. doi:10.1097/dbp.0b013e318154b883

42.

Gorin

S. S.

McAuliffe

(2009). Implications of childhood cancer survivors in the classroom and the school. Health Education, 109, 25–48. doi:10.1108/09654280910923363

43.

Gurney

J. G.

Krull

K. R.

Kadan-Lottick

Nicholson

H. S.

Nathan

P. C.

Zebrack

… Ness

K. K.

(2009). Social outcomes in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 27, 2390–2395. doi:10.1200/jco.2008.21.1458

44.

Harshman

L. A.

Barron

Button

A. M.

Smith

B. J.

Link

B. K.

Lynch

C. F.

Denburg

N. L.

(2012). Population-based exploration of academic achievement outcomes in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 37, 458–466. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsr119

45.

Herrmann

D. S.

Thurber

J. R.

Miles

Gilbert

(2011). Childhood leukemia survivors and their return to school: A literature review, case study, and recommendations. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 27, 252–275. doi:10.1080/15377903.2011.590777

46.

Hokkanen

Eriksson

Ahonen

Salantera

(2004). Adolescents with cancer: Experience of life and how it could be made easier. Cancer Nursing, 27, 325–335. doi:10.1097/00002820-200407000-00010

47.

Hunger

S. P.

Devidas

Camitta

B. M.

Gaynon

P. S.

Winick

N. J.

… Carroll

W. L.

(2012). Improved survival for children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia between 1990 and 2005: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 30, 1663–1669. doi:10.1200/jco.2011.37.8018

48.

Hymel

Comfort

Schonert-Reichl

McDougall

(1996). Academic failure and school dropout: The influence of peers. In Juvonen

Wentzel

K. R.

(Eds.), Social motivation: Understanding children’s school adjustment (pp. 313–345). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

49.

Jimerson

S. R.

Campos

Greif

J. L.

(2003). Toward an understanding of definitions and measures of school engagement and related terms. The California School Psychologist, 8, 7–27. doi:10.1007/bf03340893

50.

Jutras

Lepage

(2006). Parental perceptions of contributions of school and neighborhood to children’s wellness. Journal of Community Psychology, 34, 305–325. doi:10.1002/jcop.20101

51.

Katz

E. R.

Madan-Swain

(2006). Maximizing school, academic, and social outcomes in children and adolescents with cancer. In Brown

R. T.

(Ed.), Comprehensive handbook of childhood cancer and sickle cell disease (pp. 313–338). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

52.

Kyngaes

Mikkonen

Nousiainen

E. M.

Rytilahti

Seppaenen

Vaattovaara

Jämsä

(2001). Coping with the onset of cancer: Coping strategies and resources of young people with cancer. European Journal of Cancer Care, 10, 6–11. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2354.2001.00243.x

53.

L’Écuyer

(1990). Méthodologie de l’analyse développementale de contenu. Méthode GPS et concept de soi. Sillery (Québec), Canada: Presses de l’Université du Québec.

54.

Lähteenmaki

P. M.

Huostila

Hinkka

Salmi

T. T.

(2002). Childhood cancer patients at school. European Journal of Cancer, 38, 1227–1240. doi:10.1016/S0959-8049(02)00066-7

55.

Landier

Bhatia

(2008). Cancer survivorship: A pediatric perspective. The Oncologist, 13, 1181–1192. doi:10.1634/theoncologist.2008-0104

56.

Last

B. F.

van Veldhuizen

A. M. H.

(1996). Information about diagnosis and prognosis related to anxiety and depression in children with cancer aged 8-16 years. European Journal of Cancer, 32A, 290–294. doi:10.1016/0959-8049(95)00576-5

57.

Lehr

C. A.

Sinclair

M. F.

Christenson

S. L.

(2004). Addressing student engagement and truancy prevention during the elementary school years: A replication study of the Check & Connect model. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 9, 279–301. doi:10.1207/s15327671espr0903_4

58.

Long

K. A.

Marsland

A. L.

(2011). Family adjustment to childhood cancer: A systematic review. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 14, 57–88. doi:10.1007/s10567-010-0082-z

59.

Lorenzi

McMillan

A. J.

Siegel

L. S.

Zumbo

B. D.

Glickman

Spinelli

J. J.

… McBride

M. L.

(2009). Educational outcomes among survivors of childhood cancer in British Columbia, Canada: Report of the childhood/adolescent/young adult cancer survivors (CAYACS) program. Cancer, 1115, 2234–2245. doi:10.1002/cncr.24267

60.

Madan-Swain

Fredrick

L. O.

Wallander

J. L.

(1999). Returning to school after a serious illness or injury. In Brown

R. T.

(Ed.), Cognitive aspects of chronic illness in children (pp. 312–332). New York, NY: The Guildord Press.

61.

Maynard

B. R.

Beaver

K. M.

Vaughn

M. G.

DeLisi

Roberts

(2014). Toward a bioecological model of school engagement: A biometric analysis of gene and environmental factors. Social Work Research, 38, 164–176. doi:10.1093/swr/svu018

62.

McCubbin

Balling

Possin

Frierdich

Bryne

(2002). Family resiliency in childhood cancer. Family Relations, 51, 103–111. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2002.00103.x

63.

Ministère de la Famille des Aînés et de la Condition féminine. (2005). Portrait statistique des familles au Québec. Québec, QC (Canada): Direction des relations publiques et des communications, MFA.

64.

Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec. (1983). L’école, ça m’intéresse? Québec, QC (Canada): Gouvernement du Québec.

65.

Mitby

P. A.

Robison

L. L.

Whitton

J. A.

Zevon

M. A.

Gibbs

I. C.

Tersak

J. M.

… Mertens

A. C.

(2003). Utilization of special education services and educational attainment among long-term survivors of childhood cancer: A report from the childhood cancer survivor study. Cancer, 97, 1115–1126. doi:10.1002/cncr.11117

66.

Mitchell

Clarke

Sloper

(2006). Care and support needs of children and young people with cancer and their parents. Journal of Psychooncology, 15, 805–816. doi:10.1002/pon.1014

67.

Mody

Dover

D. C.

Sallan

Leisenring

Oeffinger

K. C.

… Neglia

J. P.

(2008). Twenty-five-year follow-up among survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A report from the childhood cancer survivor study. Blood, 111, 5515–5523. doi:10.1182/blood- 2007-10-117150

68.

Moules

N. J.

McCaffrey

Laing

C. M.

Tapp

D. M.

Strother

(2012). Grandparents’ experiences of childhood cancer. Part 2: The need for support. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 29, 133–140. doi:10.1177/1043454212439627

69.

National Research Council & Institute of Medicine. (2004). Engaging schools: Fostering high school students’ motivation to learn. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

70.

Nelson

R. M.

DeBacker

T. K.

(2008). Achievement motivation in adolescents: The role of peer climate and best friends. The Journal of Experimental Education, 76, 170–189. doi:10.3200/jexe.76.2.170-190

71.

Nunnally

J. C.

Bernstein

I. H.

(1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

72.

Patterson

Millar

Visser

(2011). The development of an instrument to assess the unmet needs of young people who have a sibling with cancer. Piloting the Sibling Cancer Needs Instrument (SCNI). Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 28, 16–26. doi:10.1177/1043454210377174

73.

Perdue

N. H.

Manzeske

D. P.

Estell

D. B.

(2009). Early predictors of school engagement: Exploring the role of peer relationships. Psychology in the Schools, 46, 1084–1097. doi:10.1002/pits.20446

74.

Power

T. J.

DuPaul

Shapiro

Kazak

(2003). Integrating children with health problems into school. In Power

DuPaul

Shapiro

Kazak

(Eds.), Promoting children’s health: Integrating school, family, and community (pp. 76–97). New York, NY: Guilford Publications.

75.

Ritchie

M. A.

(2001). Sources of emotional support for adolescents with cancer. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 18, 105–110. doi:10.1177/104345420101800303

76.

Ross

J. W.

(1984). Resolving nonmedical obstacles to successful school reentry for children with cancer. Journal of School Health, 54, 84–86. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.1984.tb08772.x

77.

Rowland

J. H.

(2005). Foreword. Looking beyond cure: Pediatric cancer as a model. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 30, 1–3. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsi010

78.

Ryan

A. M.

(2001). The peer group as a context for the development of young adolescent motivation and achievement. Child Development, 72, 1135–1150. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00338

79.

Seligman

M. E. P.

Csikszentmihalyi

(2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55, 5–14. doi:10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.5

80.

Sexson

S. B.

Madan Swain

(1993). School reentry for the child with chronic illness. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 26, 115–125. doi:10.1177/002221949302600204

81.

Sexson

S. B.

Madan-Swain

(1995). The chronically ill child in the school. School Psychology Quarterly, 10, 359–368. doi:10.1037/h0088311

82.

Shaw

S. R.

McCabe

P. C.

(2008). Hospital-to-school transition for children with chronic illness: Meeting the new challenges of an evolving health care system. Psychology in the Schools, 45, 74–87. doi:10.1002/pits.20280

83.

Shepherd

E. J. W.

Woodgate

R. L.

(2010). Cancer survivorship in children and young adults: A concept analysis. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 27, 109–118. doi:10.1177/1043454209349807

84.

Shin

Daly

Vera

(2007). The relationships of peer norms, ethnic identity, and peer support to school engagement in urban youth. Professional School Counseling, 10, 379–388.

85.

Spangler

S. L.

(2009). The relationship between quality of life and social support among adolescent survivors of childhood cancer. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Pepperdine University, CA.

86.

Sullivan

N. A.

Fulmer

Zigmond

(2001). School: The normalizing factor for children with childhood leukemia. Perspectives of young survivors and their parents. Preventing School Failure, 46, 4–13. doi:10.1080/10459880109603338

87.

Suzuki

L. K.

Kato

P. M.

(2003). Psychosocial support for patients in pediatric psychology: The influences of parents, schools, peers, and technology. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 20, 159–174. doi:10.1177/1043454203254039

88.

Trask

P. C.

Paterson

A. G.

Trask

C. L.

Bares

C. B.

Birt

Maan

(2003). Parent and adolescent adjustment to pediatric cancer: Associations with coping, social support, and family function. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 20, 36–47. doi:10.1053/jpon.2003.5

89.

Tucker

C. J.

McHale

S. M.

Crouter

A. C.

(2001). Conditions of sibling support in adolescence. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 254–271. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.15.2.254

90.

Vance

Y. H.

Eiser

(2002). The school experience of the child with cancer. Child: Care, Health and Development, 28, 5–19. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2214.2002.00227.x

91.

Villeneuve

P. J.

Raman

Leclerc

J. M.

Huchcroft

Dryer

Morrison

(1998). Survival rates among Canadian children and teenagers with cancer diagnosed between 1985 and 1988. Cancer Prevention & Control, 2, 15–22.

92.

Wang

M. T.

Eccles

J. S.

(2012). Social support matters: Longitudinal effects of social support on three dimensions of school engagement from middle to high school. Child Development, 83, 877–895. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01745.x

93.

Ward

Desantis

Robbins

Kohler

Jemal

(2014). Childhood and adolescent cancer statistics. CA: A Cancer Journal of Clinicians, 64, 83–103. doi:10.3322/caac.21219

94.

Williams

Barclay

Schmied

(2004). Defining social support in context: A necessary step in improving research, intervention, and practice. Qualitative Health Research, 14, 942–960. doi:10.1177/1049732304266997

95.

Woodgate

R. L.

(1999). Social support in children with cancer: A review of the literature. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 16, 201–213. doi:10.1177/104345429901600405

96.

Woodgate

R. L.

(2006). Siblings’ experiences with childhood cancer. A different way of being in the family. Cancer Nursing, 29, 406–414. doi:10.1097/00002820-200609000-00010

97.

Woolley

M. E.

Bowen

G. L.

(2007). In the context of risk: Supportive adults and the school engagement of middle school students. Family Relations, 56, 92–104. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2007.00442.x

98.

Worchell-Prevatt

F. F.

Heffer

R. W.

Prevatt

B. C.

Miner

Young-Saleme

Horgan

… Frankel

(1998). A school reentry program for chronically ill children. Journal of School Psychology, 36, 261–279. doi:10.1016/S0022-4405(98)00012-0

99.

You

Sharkey

(2009). Testing a developmental–ecological model of student engagement: A multilevel latent growth curve analysis. Educational Psychology, 29, 659–684. doi:10.1080/01443410903206815

100.

Zebrack

B. J.

Chesler

M. A.

(2002). Quality of life in childhood cancer survivors. Psycho-Oncology, 11, 132–141. doi:10.1002/pon.569