Abstract:

In recent decades, increasing attention in the medical literature has focused on the psychosocial sequelae of pediatric cancer. Despite this increased focus on psychosocial functioning, there is a paucity in the literature on empirically evaluated interventions for pediatric cancer patients and their families. This study investigated the impact of the wish experience on pediatric cancer patients and their families, particularly on measures of quality of life, cancer symptomology, family functioning, and child and caregiver hope. The wish experience was provided by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an established community intervention aimed at promoting hope and joy among children with a life threatening illness. Pediatric oncology patients utilizing their services were recruited for participation in this study. Using a quasi-experimental design, 17 wish children between the ages of seven and 12 and their caregivers comprised of the wish group, while 17 other children and their caregivers (who were matched with the wish group based on demographic variables and time between diagnosis and referral) comprised the no-wish group. Analysis of variance procedures were used to test the ten study hypotheses. While no significant differences were found between pre- and post-wish assessments for children whose wishes had been granted, significant differences were found between children whose wishes had been granted at post-wish and children whose wish had not yet been granted on measures of quality of life and family functioning. The wish group reported significantly higher quality of life at post-wish than did their no wish group counterparts at pre-wish. The wish group also reported lower family functioning at post-wish than the no wish group at pre-wish, which was the opposite of what was predicted.