Benefits of Attending a Weekend Childhood Cancer Survivor Family Retreat. Issue 5 (18th July 2017) - Bashore, Lisa
Abstract: Purpose: To explore the long‐term benefits to families of childhood cancer survivors who attended a weekend childhood cancer survivor family retreat. Design: Descriptive‐qualitative study including families who had attended the weekend retreat at least once but not in the past 12 months, and who attend a large pediatric hematology and oncology cancer survivorship program in Texas. Methods: A semistructured interview guide was used during three audio‐taped focus groups to explore the benefits of having attended a weekend retreat. Descriptive qualitative analysis was used to analyze the focus groups' transcripts. Findings: Seven families participated in the focus groups, and the themes identified were reconnecting (with others or family), putting life in perspective, and changing outlook on life. Conclusions: Retreats offer families of cancer survivors opportunities to reconnect with others and their own family members in a therapeutic environment. These reconnections in a therapeutic environment enriched the families' positive outlooks on life and changed their perspectives. Clinical Relevance: Families of childhood cancer survivors report a lack of support following the completion of therapy. Retreats in a nonclinical therapeutic setting optimize family‐perceived support, relationship building, and reconnecting survivor families.