Develop comprehensive awareness program, psychology homework help

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Submit your Assignment by Day 7. For this Assignment, select one of the assignments you completed earlier in this course to use as the foundation for your comprehensive awareness program. Then, use your selected assignment health psychology topic to create a comprehensive awareness program for children and adolescents and their families The Assignment (12–14 pages of text, plus cover page, abstract, and references)       Describe your comprehensive awareness program including: o The purpose of your program o The selected health topic o The appropriate setting for your program (e.g., schools, hospitals, community events) o The projected time frame for your program Describe a target community and/or culture Justify why that community and/or culture is in need of education on your selected health topic o Explain the health factors related to your topic within this community and/or culture o Explain the risk factors for your health topic within this community and/or culture Explain three goals of your comprehensive awareness program Explain five elements that you would add to your existing Assignment that you selected to develop your comprehensive awareness project Explain how this program may promote positive change Support your assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are to provide a reference list for all resources, including those in the Learning Resources for this course. Running head: PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA Psychological Response in Childhood Leukemia Walden University March 27,2016 By Elizabeth Levengood 1 PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA 2 The purpose of this paper is to analyze the psychosocial response of children suffering from leukemia, and the psychosocial response given by their parents. As shown by evidence, childhood leukemia can bring significant challenges to a child, and symptoms related to neurosis and hyperactivity are often common. Variables such as the type of treatment and the age of the child influence the psychological response to cancer diagnosis and treatment. The psychosocial well-being of parents with children suffering from leukemia is also compromised, though mothers and fathers seem to respond differently. Pediatric cancer is the cancer of a child. The definition of childhood cancer varies, as some use the ages of 0 to 14 and 11.9 months’ years old as defining parameters, while others also include the ages between 15 and 19 years old (Katz, Kellerman & Siegel, 1980). The most common type of pediatric cancer is childhood leukemia. The most common type of childhood leukemia is acute lymphocytic leukemia. Leukemia is a cancer of the blood, also known as hematological malignancy. Leukemia develops in the bone marrow, where new blood cells are made. The bone marrow of children with leukemia produce blood cells that are incapable of maturing correctly, while normal healthy cells reproduce when there is enough space. The cells of children suffering from leukemia do not respond to the signals that tell them when to stop proliferating and when to produce new cells, no matter if there is available space or not (Shah & Wayne, 2015). There are several ways though which leukemia can be diagnosed, including bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. lymph-node biopsy, complete blood count, and spinal tap (Kazak & Noll, 2015). In a bone-marrow aspiration and biopsy the marrow can be removed either through aspiration either through a needle biopsy. In a lymph-node biopsy the node is removed surgically and then examined under a microscope in search for cancerous cells. A complete blood counts PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA 3 includes measuring the number, size, and maturity of blood cells. Finally, a spinal tap involves a needle that is placed into the spinal canal from where cerebral spinal fluid is extracted and tested for the presence of leukemia cells (Shah & Wayne, 2015). The treatment of childhood leukemia depends on several factors, including the child's overall health, age, and medical history, tolerance for specific medication and procedures, and parents’ preferences (Shah & Wayne, 2015). Chemotherapy is a common treatment of leukemia, and it involves the use of drugs that interfere with the cancer's cells capacity to reproduce and grow. Chemotherapy is used either alone either in combination with other therapies. Steam cell transplants is often a treatment option, and it involves inserting healthy cells into the body, in order to ensure that the body makes enough healthy white blood cells, red cells or platelets. Childhood leukemia has a better prognosis than adult leukemia, as almost 90% of children cure. However, it is worth nothing that survival rates depend upon the subtype of leukemia, as well as other factors. More so, many children suffer from leukemia treatment side effects that persist into adulthood (Kazak & Noll, 2015). Research has consistently shown that children with cancer and their families often develop psychological problems during the treatment period (Kazak & Noll, 2015; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital & Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 2012; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health & National Cancer Institute, 2008). According to research, children with cancer often develop hyperactivity and neurosis, while behavioral difficulties are usually uncommon. Children with leukemia that participated in a recent study showed higher levels of hyperactivity and neurosis after the diagnosis and at the beginning of the treatment, but improved significantly during the following PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA 4 6 months (Kazak & Noll, 2015). The development of neurosis, with symptoms such as fear, anxiety, and distress, seems to be enhanced by several factors. For instance, the stress associated with the treatment has the potential to cause several chronic problems, including anxiety for medical procedures such as blood taking (Kazak & Noll, 2015). Some studies suggest that while much of the nursing and medical staff perceive significant patient distress when treating children with cancer, the anxiety showed by children in self-reports is low (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health & National Cancer Institute, 2008). Most parents of children with cancer seem to recognize the presence of psychological disturbances such as neurosis and hyperactivity, while the teachers of these children usually report higher neurosis scores but lower scores for hyperactivity (Kazak & Noll, 2015). Studies have not found differences in the impact of the subtype of cancer in the development of psychological disorders. However, as mentioned, children with leukemia tend to show a higher level of anxiety after the first month of treatment. This might be explained by the fact that leukemia treatment does not only include intravenous and intrathecal chemotherapy, but also a significant amount of painful procedures that must be repeated consistently. While these procedures are often performed under sedation, the children’s stress and concern is usually increased (Kazak & Noll, 2015). More so, a critical treatment for leukemia therapy includes interventions based on steroids, which significantly deteriorates the child’s quality of life, including at the behavioral and emotional level. The age of the child seems to be an important variable in the development of psychological problems after a cancer diagnosis and the beginning of treatment. For instance, younger children with cancer often show higher scores of neurosis and hyperactivity after the first months of treatment (Kazak & Noll, 2015). It is not clear why younger children are less PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA 5 likely to develop significant psychological problems compared to older children. Some researchers suggests that younger children are more adaptable to the stress of the diagnosis and treatment because it has less impact on their social life and the children are less likely to understand the risks of disease and the complications of treatment, More so, young children do not fully understand the implications of death. Older children, on the other hand, are more affected by the diagnosis and treatment of cancer because they understand the full meaning of the disease and its potential consequences, and because they have the cognitive abilities that enables them to interpret the health information given by the health care staff, which in turns makes them feel more stressed (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health & National Cancer Institute, 2008). While some studies claim that younger children can adapt more easily to a cancer diagnosis and treatment, other studies suggest that it is actually older children who can adapt more easily because they have developed more coping skills to face challenges (Kazak & Noll, 2015). There are several factors that have been identified as playing an important role in the psychological adaptation of children that have been diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing treatment. Such factors include the diagnosis procedure, the type of treatment received, and the body response given to the treatment (Katz, Kellerman & Siegel, 1980). The level of psychosocial and emotional function shown by children suffering from cancer seems to be more compromised in children that have just been diagnosed compared to children that have survives a cancer treatment (Kazak & Noll, 2015). Leukemia diagnostic and treatment also has an important psychosocial impact on parents. Parents do not only have to provide emotional support to the child undergoing a painful treatment, but must also take the responsibilities associated with choosing the right treatment. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA 6 More so, parents often have to provide emotional support to siblings, monitor their emotions, be prepared for potential relapses, and pay attention to medication and side effects, among others (Shah & Wayne, 2015). The high number of responsibilities that fall on parents of children that suffer from leukemia and other types of cancer increase the probability of psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, sleep disorders, and risk behaviors, among others. The diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer can also have an important negative impact on the social and professional abilities of parents, and many of them leave their jobs in order to give priority to their children. Some might also experience impaired communication with other important persons in their life, and marital conflicts are not uncommon (Neu, Matthews, King, Coock & Laundenslager, 2014). Research literature suggests that the parents’ quality of life during childhood cancer correlates with the child’s quality of life during treatment. The experience of cancer play an important influence on the emotional response of parents to their child’s needs, and the ability of the child to deal with a difficult situation correlates with the parents’ ability to handle crisis situations (Neu, Matthews, King, Coock & Laundenslager, 2014). Mothers and father often have to face different demands when dealing with childhood cancer. For example, mothers often assume the role of primary caregiver and offer more emotional support, while fathers are often providers but try to distance themselves emotionally. More specifically, mothers are usually involved in the administration of medication, planning family activities, offering emotional support, and managing the child's behavioral problems when they exist. Fathers, on the other hand, tend to be in a conflict between staying in the hospital and working. These differences often observed between mothers and fathers likely creates different psychological responses to the situation, though more investigation is needed in order to PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA 7 elucidate the role of cultural gender in the psychological response of parents (Neu, Matthews, King, Coock & Laundenslager, 2014). In conclusion, childhood leukemia can bring significant challenges to a child, and the most common psychological problems shown by these children are neurosis and hyperactivity, while behavioral problems are rare. Variables such as the type of treatment and the age of the child influence the psychological response to cancer diagnosis and treatment, and while some research suggests that younger children are more resilient than older children, other studies suggest the contrary. The psychosocial well-being of parents with children suffering from leukemia is also compromised, and many parents show psychological symptoms such as depression or anxiety, but also behavioral problems. Though both mothers and fathers are affected when their child receives a cancer diagnosis and undergoes treatment, they seem to show a different psychosocial response to the situation. Further research could fully establish the link between a child’s age and psychological resilience to cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as the role of cultural gender in shaping parents’ response to childhood cancer. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA 8 References Katz, E. R., Kellerman, J., & Siegel, S. E. (1980) Behavioral distress in children with cancer undergoing medical procedures: Developmental considerations. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 48(3), 356–365. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.48.3.35 Kazak, A. E., & Noll, R. B. (2015). The integration of psychology in pediatric oncology research and practice: Collaboration to improve care and outcomes for childrenand families. American Psychologist, 70(2), 146. Neu, M., Matthews, E., King, N. A., Cook, P. F., & Laudenslager, M. L. (2014). Anxiety, depression, stress, and cortisol levels in mothers of children undergoing maintenance therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Journal of Oncology Nursing, 31(2), 104-113. Shah, N. N., & Wayne, A. S. (2015). Leukemias and Lymphomas. Pediatric Psycho-Oncology: A Quick Reference on the Psychosocial Dimensions of Cancer Symptom Management.St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. (2012) Facts about childhood cancer. Pediatric Cancer Genome Project. Retrieved from http://www.pediatriccancergenomeproject.org/site/facts-childhoodcancer U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute (2008). Childhood Cancers [Fact sheet 6.40]. Retrieved from http:// www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/FS6_40.pdf PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA 9
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