The Rosalind Franklin Society (RFS), in partnership with Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, enthusiastically congratulate our distinguished recipient of the 2022 annual RFS Award in Science for this journal, which recognizes the outstanding research and published work of women and underrepresented minority scientists, physicians, and engineers.
Normarie Torres-Blasco, et al., “Family as a Bridge to Improve Meaning in Latinx Individuals Coping with Cancer,” Palliative Medicine Reports 3, no. 1 (December 2022): 186–193, http://doi.org/10.1089/pmr.2022.0035.
Abstract
Family and meaning-making resources are culturally congruent and help support Latinx coping with cancer. Participants were patients with any advanced cancer diagnosis. N = 24 in-depth interviews were completed by Latinx advanced cancer patients (Stage III and IV). When evaluating patients' perspectives on the role of family and meaning/purpose in adjustment to advanced cancer, the team generated three categories: (1) family support, (2) family communication, and (3) include support for the family. Many patients reported the importance of family as a source of meaning and social support in the process of cancer diagnosis and treatment. They also reported communication as central to process information and planning. Also, participants describe their desire to incorporate family members into therapy and for encouraging them to seek counseling. Results highlight the need to include syntonic cultural values such as family and meaning for Latinx individuals coping with advanced cancer in psychological interventions.
Biosketch
Normarie Torres-Blasco is an assistant research professor at the School of Behavior and Brain Science at Ponce Health Sciences University.