Writing newspapers in the pediatric oncology ward as a form of psychosocial support – preliminary report

Introduction: The project editing magazines in the pediatric cancer unit has been described in relation to the issue of psychosocial support in the practice of oncology.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of this form of psychosocial support in the opinion of oncologic patients and their parents.

Material and methods: Thirty-five respondents – children diagnosed as having cancer over 15 years old and their parents have been enrolled to this study. The study group completed a questionnaire prepared by the author, for an assessment of the psychosocial value of the newspaper. The survey was anonymous.

Results: All participants in the study expressed a positive assessment of the magazine “Onco Okey”. More than half of the respondents also stressed the benefits of obtained information as the positive aspects of ward life, tips on how to deal with cancer, content in the field of psychology, moments of entertainment and mood improvement associated with reading newspapers, psychological support, a sense of connection with others and acquire useful recipes.

Conclusions: The results of the study showed a positive reception of conducted in pediatric oncology unit project – editing the magazine “Onco Okey” by children with cancer and their parents. It seems that an important supportive role played by even a moment of relaxation.