“This Is Loneliness, Helplessness, Desolation…”: Exploring the Emotions and Emotion Regulation Experiences of Mothers of Children Diagnosed With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Background Caring for children with leukemia presents significant challenges and stress for mothers, which can negatively affect their psychological well-being. However, emotion regulation plays a vital role in maintaining psychological well-being during such stressful situations. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the emotions and emotion regulation strategies of mothers of children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Methods The research used a phenomenological approach. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 mothers in Turkey. The data were analyzed using content analysis. The COREQ checklist was used for reporting the research. Results Four themes and their subthemes emerged from the data: (1) emotional tides: anchor to hope from emotional suffering (emotional suffering and anchor to hope), (2) sources of emotions (meaning and effects of cancer, the child’s suffering and happiness, the burden of societal stigma, motherhood in the shadow of cancer, and social support and strains in relationships), (3) emotion regulation strategies (suppression, cognitive strategies, and behavioral strategies), and (4) difficulties of emotion regulation (lack of strategy, inability to notice and express emotions, and behaving impulsively). Conclusions Mothers of children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia often experience distressing emotions and struggle to maintain positive emotions and regulate their distress. They tend to rely on maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, such as suppression, catastrophizing, and rumination. Implications for Practice Nurses should recognize the emotional challenges faced by mothers and implement psychoeducational interventions that include adaptive emotion regulation strategies. This support can help mothers navigate the difficult emotions encountered during their child’s cancer journey.