Care Needs of the Adult Daughters Whose Mothers Have Breast Cancer

Purpose: Breast cancer has the effect on family members especially on first-degree relatives. Comparing to adult daughters whose mothers do not have breast cancer, daughters whose mothers are suffering with breast cancer have higher distress. Previous studies revealed perception of care burden, worry about mothers’ disease and concerns about possible loss of mother influence daughters’ mental health. In addition, they also concerned with the risk of genetic inheritance of the disease on themselves and their next generation. Studies demonstrated the degree to depression and anxiety for these daughters decreased dramatically when information and emotional needs were satisfied. The purpose of this study is to understand the importance of the Information and support needs, and the unmet needs in adult daughters whose mothers experience breast cancer. In order to provide a suitable care and establish an intervention for daughters whose mothers have breast cancer, understanding those daughters’ care needs and unmet needs are significant tasks for health care professionals.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted and the information and Support Needs Questionnaire (ISNQ) adapted by our research team was used to discover importance of information and support needs, and whether these needs have been met. There were initially 29 items in original version of ISNQ, but we modified it and added 5 items in terms of Taiwanese culture and clinical experience. ISNQ did not only measure the daughters’ information needs including the risks, screening, treatments, preventions and knowledge of breast cancer but also the support needs. Until now, 64 healthy adult daughters, aged 20-58 years old whose mother suffered with breast cancer, were recruited in two medical centers in southern Taiwan.

Results: The preliminary findings revealed that the information needs were rated as more important than support needs. Among all of needs, top 3 important needs were desired for demonstration of breast self-examination, information about how to support my mother and how often I should receive mammography screening. Moreover, daughters’ expectation for acquiring a holistic “plan” once they get breast cancer, reminders for breast self-examinations and doing breast self-examination properly supervised by health professionals were rated as top 3 unmet needs for the daughters.

Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated some implications to enhance clinical professionals to more actively evaluate the care needs of adult daughters whose mothers with breast cancer. It highlights to establish related counseling departments and clinics for these daughters in Taiwan.