LIFE INTERRUPTED: THE ADOLESCENT’S EXPERIENCE WHEN A PARENT HAS ADVANCED CANCER
By Dr. Farya Phillips
Wednesday, April 30, 12:30-1:30 pm
School of Social Work, Room 1.214
Children and adolescents facing the death of a parent from cancer constitute a vulnerable population often overlooked by health care professionals and researchers. This talk will present findings of a pilot study conducted to gain an understanding of the experiences of these adolescents in their own words, in order to gather valuable data to develop interventions for this population. Understanding how adolescents gain strength from their relationships with family and peers offers healthcare professionals an opportunity to have services and strategies in place to foster these relationships.
Dr. Farya Phillips is the Dean’s Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Psychosocial Oncology at the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. As a Post Doctoral Fellow, she has been working with colleagues in the School of Social Work to develop psychosocial interventions for adolescents impacted by cancer. She is a recipient of the William S. Livingston Outstanding Graduate Student Award and the Patricia Puig and Joseph P. Mueller Dean’s Excellence Fund. Her research interests include young adult cancer survivors and children/adolescents affected by their parent’s cancer diagnosis.