A Qualitative Exploration of Psychologists’ Perspectives on Early Childhood Developmental Strengths and Concerns in an Oncology Sample

Objective Pediatric oncology standards of care recommend that patients be assessed early to support identification of delays. Quantitative research underscores these delays; however, there is limited understanding of psychologists’ perspectives of developmental functioning which encompass psychosocial factors (e.g., social support, coping, family, socioeconomic status, cultural norms) and other nuances that assessment measures lack. Their perspectives are important for linking patients with appropriate early interventions and informing supportive care planning. Methods Using a deductive qualitative approach, we analyzed secondary data from psychologists’ documentation for a hospital-based early intervention program. Data were extracted from documents of 128 early childhood pediatric cancer patients and researchers engaged in a deductive thematic analysis. This included familiarization with the text, coding into development-related domains, collaborative coding for consensus, chunking within domains, and immersion/crystallization of coded data. Themes emerged from psychologists’ reports of (1) child and family strengths and (2) concerns and priorities. Results Psychologist-reported strengths were often linked to social-emotional functioning, concerns were related to the need for ongoing assessments and early interventions. Emergent themes highlighted relevant psychosocial factors such as parent-child interactions, family support networks, temperament, and many others that were used by psychologists to inform early interventions. Conclusions The results offer valuable insight into psychologists’ interpretations of reported developmental functioning within pediatric oncology settings. Results can help healthcare teams tailor interventions and foster meaningful conversations with families to better support the development and psychosocial outcomes of young patients. The results also reinforce the importance of standards of care that emphasize early assessment and intervention.