Atout M, Al-Amer R, Hasan AA, Allari R. Lived experiences of Jordanian mothers of children with cancer: A descriptive qualitative study. World J Clin Pediatr 2026; 15(2): 115750 [DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i2.115750]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Maha Atout, Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Nursing School, Philadelphia University, Jarash Road, Amman 19392, Jordan. m.atout@philadelphia.edu.jo
Research Domain of This Article
Psychology, Development
Article-Type of This Article
Observational Study
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Jun 9, 2026 (publication date) through May 16, 2026
Times Cited of This Article
Times Cited (0)
Journal Information of This Article
Publication Name
World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics
ISSN
2219-2808
Publisher of This Article
Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
Share the Article
Atout M, Al-Amer R, Hasan AA, Allari R. Lived experiences of Jordanian mothers of children with cancer: A descriptive qualitative study. World J Clin Pediatr 2026; 15(2): 115750 [DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i2.115750]
World J Clin Pediatr. Jun 9, 2026; 15(2): 115750 Published online Jun 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i2.115750
Lived experiences of Jordanian mothers of children with cancer: A descriptive qualitative study
Maha Atout, Rasmieh Al-Amer, Abd Alhadi Hasan, Rabia Allari
Maha Atout, Faculty of Nursing, Nursing School, Philadelphia University, Amman 19392, Jordan
Rasmieh Al-Amer, School of Nursing, Yarmouk University, Irbid 21163, Jordan
Abd Alhadi Hasan, Department of Nursing, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Master Program, Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences, Fakeeh Care Group, Jeddah 21461, Saudi Arabia
Rabia Allari, Department of Acute and Chronic Care Nursing, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman 19328, Jordan
Author contributions: Atout M conceptualized and designed the study, collected and analyzed data, and drafted the manuscript; Hasan AA contributed to data collection and analysis; Allari R and Al-Amer R contributed to interpretation, writing, and revision of the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final version.
Institutional review board statement: Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the Royal Medical Services Hospital, Jordan (Approval No. 10545/8/2018).
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, or publication of this article.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: The data supporting this study’s findings are not publicly available due to the sensitive and confidential nature of the interviews but may be made available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Maha Atout, Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Nursing School, Philadelphia University, Jarash Road, Amman 19392, Jordan. m.atout@philadelphia.edu.jo
Received: October 24, 2025 Revised: January 8, 2026 Accepted: February 26, 2026 Published online: June 9, 2026 Processing time: 201 Days and 16.8 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Caring for children with cancer deeply affects mothers’ daily lives, emotions, and family roles; however, to date, little has been learned about these experiences in the context of Jordan.
AIM
To examine the lived experiences of Jordanian mothers of children with cancer, with a focus on their coping mechanisms, support systems, and challenges.
METHODS
This descriptive qualitative study involved the use of semi-structured interviews with 20 mothers of children visiting a pediatric hospital in Jordan. Thematic analysis was employed, guided by the transactional model of stress and coping and the theory of spiritual coping, to analyze the resulting data.
RESULTS
Three major themes were revealed. The idea of a transformative coping journey included several subthemes, namely shifting priorities, holding back tears to appear strong, learning important lessons, and reconstructing futures while delaying personal dreams. The second emergent theme, perceived challenges, included subthemes around the emotional irritability of the sick child; the impact on family life and daily routines; and preparation of the home environment for children after recovery. Finally, the theme of support systems included subthemes regarding emotional and practical support from extended family and the use of mothers’ deep beliefs in destiny and God’s will as key sources of strength and endurance.
CONCLUSION
Developing a broad range of support services in the Jordanian context to assist parents whose children have been diagnosed with cancer is essential. Possible focuses for such programs could include the provision of counselling services, support groups, and educational resources to help parents more effectively manage stress, thereby enhancing their emotional well-being.
Core Tip: This qualitative study was a descriptive one that investigated the life experiences of Jordanian mothers with cancer children. Three themes were identified after in-depth interviews, namely transformative coping journey, support systems, and perceived challenges. Mothers coped by switching priorities and keeping emotions under wraps to seem strong and meaning-driven by religious faith in God. The most important part in battling stress was emotional and practical family support, as well as spiritual beliefs. The research indicates the necessity of culturally sensitive psychosocial and educational programs that would help mothers go through the complicated environment of pediatric cancer care in Jordan.
