Social Normalization of Young Cancer Survivors: A Scoping Review Using Meleis' Transitions Theory

AIM(S): To synthesize existing evidence on social normalization among young cancer survivors aged 10-24 years and to identify transition conditions and patterns of response shaping their transitional experiences. DESIGN: A scoping review using Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework. METHODS: Two reviewers independently screened, extracted, and synthesized data using a reviewer-developed data extraction form, with decisions documented through an audit trail. Findings were synthesized according to Meleis' Transitions Theory. DATA SOURCES: Five databases (Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO) and key journals were searched between January 2015 and July 2025, with the search last updated in August 2025. Eligibility criteria were defined using the PCC (Population, Concept, Context) framework. RESULTS: Thirty-two studies were included. Within transition conditions, four personal factors (identity formation and recurring inner conflicts, psychological and emotional state, physical and cognitive functioning, and adaptation and perceptual strategies), three environmental factors (peer relationships, family functioning and relationships, and support and collaboration from professionals and schools) were identified. Patterns of response included both process and outcome indicators across individual, interpersonal, and functional levels. Social normalization was shaped by double transitions-simultaneous developmental and illness-related shifts, and by cascading effects wherein disruptions like social isolation or neurocognitive challenges affect multiple aspects of functioning. Protective mechanisms included autonomy-supportive environments and coordinated communication among families, schools, and healthcare teams. CONCLUSION: Social normalization among young cancer survivors is an ongoing developmental process shaped by intersecting illness and life transitions. The findings show that normalization unfolds through interdependent mechanisms across individual, interpersonal, and functional levels, involving identity integration, relational negotiation, and role participation. These ongoing processes require autonomy-supportive environments and system-level coordination among healthcare, school, and community settings. These insights extend current understanding of how developmental and illness-related transitions intersect to shape young survivors' social trajectories and inform developmentally attuned, socially responsive survivorship care. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Research should conceptualize social normalization as a dynamic process of developmental and illness-related transitions, rather than a fixed outcome. Healthcare professionals should monitor survivors' transition trajectories and deliver autonomy-supportive, developmentally responsive, and socially contextualized interventions throughout survivorship. Policymakers and healthcare systems should coordinate efforts across healthcare, family, educational, and community settings to sustain adaptive transitions and support social normalization. IMPACT: This review addressed the limited understanding of social normalization in young cancer survivors aged 10-24, where research has largely focused on physical late effects over social outcomes. By applying Meleis' Transitions Theory to synthesize evidence across 32 studies, this review demonstrates that social normalization is an ongoing process shaped by double transitions, cascading effects, and protective mechanisms. These findings provide process-oriented guidance for healthcare professionals, educators, families, and policymakers to support reintegration and long-term well-being in this population REPORTING METHOD: PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Involvement.