Healthy siblings of children with cancer. The model of psychosocial care

: The presence of childhood cancer threatens the balance of the entire family. Perhaps the most profoundly affected are the healthy siblings, who experience significant psychosocial distress at home as well as at school. They suffer from a lack of knowledge about their brother's or sister's disease, feelings of abandonment, anger; resentment, sadness and guilt. In the study the factors associated with these issues and psychological adjustment to childhood cancer were investigated. Well Siblings Situation Scale was created to estimate the probability of the occurrence of psychosocial problems in this group of otherwise healthy children. The scale covers the risk factors described in terms of demographic, family, disease related and personal characteristics. The proposed model of psychosocial intervention includes repetitive use of the Well Siblings Situation Scale to identify the dysfunctional group of siblings. The program of psychosocial care will facilitate the healthy siblings' adjustment to the cancer experience with a focus on promoting more successful coping and managing the stress of a life threatening illness. This can be an effective approach for providing basic information on cancer and its treatment. More important, various forms of individual and group care will allow lo share the feelings of paediatric cancer patients and express their special concerns in a supportive and therapeutic environment. The programme will include parents, teachers, health care professionals, and most of all the siblings.