The impact of a personal cancer diagnosis on adolescent and young adult cancer survivors’ social connectedness: A qualitative analysis

Adolescent/young adult cancer survivors (AYACS) are diagnosed with cancer between 15 and 39 years of age. Improving AYACS’ survivorship quality is crucial—including improving social connectedness, a construct describing the quality, structure and function of social relationships. With better understanding of AYACS’ social connectedness, network-based interventions can be developed to foster social health. This study explored how a personal cancer diagnosis impacts AYACS’ social connectedness among 35 AYACS 15–25 years old. Three themes emerged through thematic analysis: (1) AYACS experience substantial heterogeneity related to social support needs; (2) AYACS leverage multiple relationships and resources when seeking support after a personal cancer diagnosis; (3) AYACS’ individual experiences were unique in that some noted positive changes, whereas others noted negative changes in relationships within social networks, specifically with peers. These findings create a foundation to develop social programming, foster peer relationships, and incorporate social science methods to aid intervention development to strengthen AYACS’ social connectedness.