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255 The impact of a personal cancer diagnosis on adolescent and young adult cancer survivors’ social connectedness: A qualitative analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2025

Pooja Rao ,
Joel E Segel ,
Kristin Bingen ,
Katie A Devine ,
Allison M Scott ,
Laura M Koehly ,
Ashton M Verdery ,
Courtney L Rumbaugh ,
Emily Wasserman  and
Heather J Costigan
...Show all authors
Pooja Rao
Affiliation:
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA Penn State College of Medicine
Joel E Segel
Affiliation:
Department of Health Policy and Administration, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA Division of Pediatric Psychology
Kristin Bingen
Affiliation:
Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Katie A Devine
Affiliation:
Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Allison M Scott
Affiliation:
Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
Laura M Koehly
Affiliation:
Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Ashton M Verdery
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Criminology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
Courtney L Rumbaugh
Affiliation:
Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
Emily Wasserman
Affiliation:
Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
Heather J Costigan
Affiliation:
Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
Smita Dandekar
Affiliation:
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
Kevin Rakszawski
Affiliation:
Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA Division of Pediatric Psychology
Natthapol Songdej
Affiliation:
Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA Division of Pediatric Psychology
George F Blackall
Affiliation:
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
Monali Vasekar
Affiliation:
Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA Division of Pediatric Psychology
Seema Naik
Affiliation:
Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA Division of Pediatric Psychology
Eugene J. Lengerich
Affiliation:
Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA Division of Pediatric Psychology Department of Public Health Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
Lauren J Van Scoy
Affiliation:
Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
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Abstract

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Objectives/Goals: This study’s objective was to explore how a personal cancer diagnosis impacts the social connectedness (i.e., quality, structure, and functions of social relationships) of adolescent/young adult cancer survivors (AYACS, patients diagnosed with cancer between 15 and 39 years old), to inform intervention development fostering social health. Methods/Study Population: In this qualitative study (part of larger study assessing AYACS’ psychosocial challenges), participants were 15–25 years old at the time of cancer diagnosis and within 6 years of cancer diagnosis. Participants (and consenting parents of participants 18 years old and older) had to have fluency in written and spoken English and access to a computer or smartphone. Qualitative interviewers utilized an interview guide to conduct individual participant interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data using a phenomenological approach to explore how a personal cancer diagnosis impacted social connectedness. Qualitative data related to social connectedness (corresponding to code “Relationships and Support”) are presented. Results/Anticipated Results: Three themes emerged through thematic analysis: (1) AYACS experience substantial heterogeneity related to social support needs; (2) AYACS leverage multiple relationships and resources when seeking support after a personal cancer diagnosis; (3) AYACS’ individual experiences were unique in that some noted positive changes, whereas others noted negative changes in relationships within social networks, specifically with peers. Discussion/Significance of Impact: AYACS experience various social support needs, and leverage multiple relationships when seeking social support. These translational findings create a foundation to develop AYACS social programming, foster peer relationships, and incorporate social science methods to aid intervention development to strengthen AYACS’ social connectedness.

Type
Health Equity and Community Engagement
Information
Journal of Clinical and Translational Science , Volume 9 , Issue s1 , April 2025 , pp. 78 - 79
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. The Association for Clinical and Translational Science