Lessons learned through childhood cancer: An AI- enhanced PhotoArt-based qualitative study of parental growth and meaning-making.

PURPOSE: This qualitative phenomenological study explores how parents of children diagnosed with cancer construct meaning from their caregiving experiences, the lessons they derive, and how these experiences contribute to their growth. Using a descriptive phenomenological design, the study employed AI-generated PhotoArt to elicit and enrich parents' narratives, facilitating metaphorical expression and deepening narrative insight. By shifting the focus from distress to meaning, the study highlights caregiving as a site of personal growth, value reorientation, and life learning."

METHOD: Sixteen parents from a pediatric oncology unit participated in two in-depth individual interviews. In the first, they described an image that symbolized their learning; the second focused on emotional and cognitive transformation. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis. Personalized AI-generated visuals were created to represent each parent's core theme.

RESULTS

Three main themes emerged: (1) Initial experiences of Crisis, marked by emotional collapse, family disruption, and spiritual coping; (2) Lessons Acquired Through the Illness Journey, including resilience, life reprioritization, and empathy through connection; and (3) Constrained Learning Over Time, involving emotional suppression, avoidance, social withdrawal, and mistrust. Visual metaphors like a "broken-winged angel" enriched the emotional depth of verbal narratives.

CONCLUSION

The integration of visual and narrative techniques shows promise in supporting caregiver insight and resilience. Creative, meaning-centered approaches may enhance psycho-oncological support by validating both suffering and growth in the caregiving experience.