We recently published a review in the French journal Psycho-oncologie. This article aims to document the existing literature on parental overprotection in the context of childhood cancer.
We were particularly interested in understanding the characteristics of overprotection in families with a child suffering from cancer. Thereby, in this specific situation, would overprotection be adaptative? Would there be potential negative effects for the child? This review also identifies some familial (e.g., parents’ perception of child’s vulnerability) and societal factors (e.g., norms about motherhood and fatherhood) that may foster overprotective parenting in mothers and fathers. The literature highlights the importance of the broader family and societal context in the study of parenting in pediatric oncology.