Purpose: Siblings of children treated for a cancer often experience psychological difficulties (anxiety, sadness, feeling of anger, of loneliness) sometimes associated to behaviour disorders, school difficulties and social/familial dysfunctioning.
Groups approach for siblings showed positive effects on mood, quality of life and understanding of the disease. However, presently there is no consensus about these group-functioning: number of session, opened or closed group and program of the sessions. Consequently, the evaluation and the replication of such groups are rather difficult. Qualitative data collected in 2011 at the cancer center Gustave Roussy Institute (IGR) concerning families’ expectations about the supportive care for siblings and data from the literature lead us to build a structured group program, based on cognitive and behavioural theories, which could be available for other teams.
Method: This closed group, of 2 sessions, is lead by a paediatrician and a psychiatrist for children. It concerns children from 6 to 12. This group is supposed to offer a psychological support, informations about cancer and its treatments, improve family communication and develop the social support by offering recreation activities. We created a booklet given to the children which helps structuring the sessions and makes the emotional expression freer.Further quantitative and prospective study, with a control group, will evaluate the impact of such sessions on the emotional state of siblings, their quality of life and family communication.
Results: data analysis of first two groups is underway.
Conclusion: Our project is innovative because it offers a cognitive and behavioural model of support of siblings by using a personal booklet which could be used by other teams.