Academic Journal
"Holding Hope in Their Hands": Mothers' Meaning-Making Experiences of Handcraft-Based Art Therapy During Their Children's Cancer Treatment: An Art-based Phenomenological Qualitative Study.
| Τίτλος: | "Holding Hope in Their Hands": Mothers' Meaning-Making Experiences of Handcraft-Based Art Therapy During Their Children's Cancer Treatment: An Art-based Phenomenological Qualitative Study. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Algül G; Department of Pediatric Nursing, Gazi University Nursing Faculty, Ankara, Türkiye., Ozdemir Koyu H; Department of Pediatric Nursing, Selcuk University Nursing Faculty, Konya, Türkiye. Electronic address: hazalozdemir@selcuk.edu.tr., Kilicarslan E; Department of Pediatric Nursing, Gazi University Nursing Faculty, Ankara, Türkiye. |
| Πηγή: | Seminars in oncology nursing [Semin Oncol Nurs] 2026 Oct; Vol. 42 (5), pp. 152301. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jul 12. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Elsevier, Inc Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 8504688 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1878-3449 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 07492081 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Semin Oncol Nurs Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Philadelphia, PA : Elsevier, Inc. Original Publication: [Orlando, FL] : Grune & Stratton, [c1985- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Art Therapy*/methods , Mothers*/psychology , Neoplasms*/psychology , Neoplasms*/therapy , Hope*, Mother-Child Relations/psychology ; Humans ; Female ; Adult ; Qualitative Research ; Child ; Adaptation, Psychological ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Child, Preschool ; Adolescent |
| Περίληψη: | Objectives: Mothers of children undergoing cancer treatment often carry intense emotional, relational, and existential burdens, while their own psychosocial needs remain largely unarticulated. Art-based interventions may offer unique pathways for meaning-making beyond verbal expression, yet little is known about how mothers experience and interpret such processes during their child's cancer trajectory. This study aimed to explore mothers' meaning-making experiences of a handcraft-based art therapy intervention during their children's pediatric cancer treatment. Methods: An art-based phenomenological qualitative design was employed. Twelve mothers of children receiving active treatment in a pediatric oncology unit participated in the study. Data was generated through in-depth semi-structured interviews and participant-produced photographs documenting their handcraft processes and symbolic meanings. Interviews were conducted following the art-making experience and analyzed alongside visual data using interpretative phenomenological thematic analysis. Results: Children had a mean age of 9.33 years, with the majority diagnosed with leukemia. Mothers had a mean age of 37.08 years. Five main themes emerged: (1) Holding emotional weight and hope through the hands, reflecting how tactile engagement enabled mothers to embody and transform emotional distress; (2) Reclaiming agency in an uncontrollable illness trajectory, where creating with their hands fostered a sense of control and intentionality; (3) Creating space for the self beyond caregiving and illness, highlighting moments of self-recognition and emotional respite; (4) Meaning-making within motherhood and relational bonds, emphasizing how art reinforced maternal identity and connection with the child; and (5) Unmet needs and expectations at the boundary of meaning, revealing limitations of existing psychosocial support and mothers' longing for sustained, mother-centered care. Conclusions: Handcraft-based art therapy may offer a meaningful supportive approach for mothers of children with cancer by helping them reflect on meaning, regulate difficult emotions, and reconnect with perceived inner strength. Integrating art-based, mother focused psychosocial interventions into pediatric oncology care can address unmet emotional needs and support mothers' well-being during treatment. Implications for Nursing Practice: Integrating structured, handcraft-based art activities into routine pediatric oncology care may provide nurses with a practical, low-cost strategy to support mothers' emotional well-being and coping during their child's treatment. (Copyright © 2026 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Art-therapy; Childhood cancer; Meaning-making; Parents; Qualitative study |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260711 Date Completed: 20260909 Latest Revision: 20260909 |
| Update Code: | 20260910 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.soncn.2026.152301 |
| PMID: | 42436041 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1878-3449 |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.soncn.2026.152301 |