Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38611010›Full record

ArticleCancers2024

The Emotional Impact of a Cancer Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study of Adolescent and Young Adult Experience.

Luke Hughes, Rachel M Taylor, Angharad E Beckett, Oana C Lindner, Adam Martin, Joanne McCulloch, Sue Morgan, Louise Soanes, Rizwana Uddin, Dan P Stark

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cancers, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
26citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

26 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Psychosocial Burden of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis of Patient and Caregiver Perspectives.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Differences in quality of life between early onset colorectal cancer patients compared to older patients: a qualitative study.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Connected by Nature: Nature-Based Intervention to Support Young Adults with Advanced Cancer.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Observational
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Luke HughesCancer Clinical Trials Unit, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London NW1 2PG, UK.
Rachel M TaylorCentre for Nurse, Midwife and AHP Led Research (CNMAR), University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London NW1 2PG, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0853-0925
Angharad E BeckettSchool of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5233-3390
Oana C LindnerLeeds Institute of Medical Research, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5442-8393
Adam MartinAcademic Unit of Health Economics, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
Joanne McCullochSchool of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
Sue MorganTeenage and Young Adult Cancer Service, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK.
Louise SoanesTeenage Cancer Trust, London WC1V 7AA, UK.
Rizwana UddinLeeds Institute of Medical Research, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
Dan P StarkLeeds Institute of Medical Research, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.

Funding

Economic and Social Research Council ES/S00565X/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The biographical disruption that occurs in adolescents and young adults following a cancer diagnosis can affect various important psychosocial domains including relationships with family and friends, sexual development, vocational and educational trajectories, and physical and emotional wellbeing. While there is evidence of the physical impact of cancer during this period, less is known about the impact on emotional wellbeing and especially on the barriers for young people accessing help and support. We aimed to obtain a more in-depth understanding of young people's experiences of their diagnosis, treatment, psychological impact, and range of resources they could or wanted to access for their mental health. We conducted an in-depth qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 43 young people who had developed cancer aged 16 to 39 years and were either within 6 months of diagnosis or 3-5 years after treatment had ended. Framework analysis identified three themes: the emotional impact of cancer (expressed through anxiety, anger, and fear of recurrence); personal barriers to support through avoidance; and support to improve mental health through mental health services or adolescent and young adult treatment teams. We showed the barriers young people have to access care, particularly participant avoidance of support. Interrupting this process to better support young people and provide them with flexible, adaptable, consistent, long-term psychological support has the potential to improve their quality of life and wellbeing.

Indexed as

adolescentemotional wellbeingmental healthyoung adult

Identifiers

PMID38611010
PMCPMC11010824

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.