Background

Compared to other groups of staff working in the health service, staff working in oncology settings have been identified as being particularly vulnerable to stress, psychological difficulties, emotional exhaustion and burnout. Staff support has been identified by CLIC Sargent (the UK ’s leading children’s cancer charity) as a priority area and wants to develop models of staff support which are evidence-based. However, compared to adult oncology, there is little evidence about stress, coping and support among staff working in paediatric oncology.

Aims

This project was a partnership between researchers in SPRU and CLIC Sargent and it:

• established what was known in terms of stress and coping in staff working in paediatric oncology settings, and compared this to evidence on stress and coping in adult oncology settings
• identified gaps in the research evidence.
• consulted staff about issues for future research.
• identified methods used to research this topic.

Methods

The project involved conducting a scoping review, consultation with doctors, social work and nursing staff who work in paediatric oncology, and working with CLIC Sargent staff and representatives from the professional groups it developed a proposal for an empirical study of staff stress and support in paediatric oncology.

Publications and presentations

Show Abstract...

2009

Burnout, psychiatric morbidity, and work-related sources of stress in paediatric oncology staff: a review of the literature, 2009
Mukherjee, S., Beresford, B., Glaser, A. and Sloper, P., Psycho-Oncology, 18, 10, 1019-1028. 2008

Sources of stress, burnout and psychiatric morbidity in paediatric and adolescent oncology staff: past, present and future
Mukherjee, S., 40th Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology: Paediatric Psycho-Oncology Pre-Meeting, Berlin, Germany, 3-6 October 2008.

If you require further information about the project, please contact Bryony Beresford