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Psycho-oncology

Psychological risk and resilience in families of children with cancer

Nature Reviews Psychology volume 4, page 758 (2025)Cite this article

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Humans innately dislike thinking about their own mortality. In an analogy used by psychotherapist Yalom in his 2008 paper, thinking about death is akin to staring at the sun: the reality is confronting and blinding. Humans can only entertain the idea for so long before they are compelled, by difficult-to-tolerate thoughts and feelings, to ‘look away’.

The diagnosis of a serious and potentially life-limiting illness such as cancer in a child or young person unexpectedly brings mortality into closer focus and is a time of psychological crisis for the patient, their parents and/or caregivers and the wider family unit. The experience is profoundly distressing, defies assumptions about youth and good health, and has the potential to be a life-changing experience for the whole family.

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References

Original article

  • Barakat, L. P., Aldefer, M. A. & Kazak, A. E. Posttraumatic growth in adolescent survivors of cancer and their mothers and fathers. J. Pediatr. Psychol. 31, 413–419 (2006)

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Related article

  • Yalom, I. D. Staring at the sun: overcoming the terror of death. Humanist. Psychol. 36, 283–297 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioural Sciences Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, UNSW Sydney, Syndey, New South Wales, Australia

    Brittany C. McGill

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  1. Brittany C. McGill
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Correspondence to Brittany C. McGill.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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McGill, B.C. Psychological risk and resilience in families of children with cancer. Nat Rev Psychol 4, 758 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-025-00504-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-025-00504-3

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