When to Seek Mental Health Care for My Child When They Have Cancer

This section has information if you’re concerned about: 

• Your child who has cancer 
• Another child (whose brother/sister has cancer) 
  

Child who has cancer 

It’s normal for a child or young person with cancer to experience lots of mixed – and sometimes overwhelming – emotions. Most manage to find a way to cope, with your support, but sometimes they may need professional help.  

Warning signs 

As a parent, it can be hard to know what’s normal behaviour and what’s a warning sign of a potential mental health issue.  Sadness and worry are normal reactions for a child or young person who has cancer. Particularly for teenagers, feeling down, tense, angry, anxious or disconnected are all normal emotions. But if these feelings seem overwhelming, persist for a long time and start to get in the way of their daily life, it could be depression or anxiety. 

 Your child may need some professional help and support if they: 

• no longer enjoy activities/hobbies that they used to enjoy 
• feel sad all the time and cry a lot, or are constantly irritable and angry 
• have trouble concentrating or paying attention 
• are having trouble sleeping 
• have weight loss/gain or changed eating habits that are not related to the cancer and its treatment  
• talk about hurting themselves, wanting to die or suicide. 

If you notice any of these changes, talk to a member of your child’s treatment team. They could be a side effect of the cancer treatment, but if they last for longer periods of time they may be warning signs that your child is not coping and needs to get some help.  

Siblings 

Coping with someone in the family having cancer is really challenging for many children and young people. Generally, with the right advice and support, you can support your child. But sometimes they may need professional help. 

Warning signs 

As a parent, it can be hard to know what’s normal behaviour and what’s a warning sign of a potential mental health issue.  Sadness and worry are normal reactions for a child or young person when their sister or brother has cancer. Particularly for teenagers, feeling down, tense, angry, anxious or disconnected are all normal emotions. But if these feelings seem overwhelming, persist for a long time and start to get in the way of their daily life, it could be depression or anxiety. 

Warning signs that your child may need professional help include any new and persistent changes (lasting more than one or two weeks), like: 

• not enjoying, or not wanting to be involved in, things that they used to enjoy 
• not wanting to go to school 
• spending a lot of time alone and withdrawing from friends 
• changes in hygiene, eating habits, appetite or sleeping patterns 
• being easily irritated or angry for no reason  
• trouble concentrating or paying attention (e.g. their school grades dropping or performance at Uni/TAFE/work is not as good as it was) 
• risky behaviour that they would usually avoid, like taking drugs or drinking too much alcohol 
• talking about hurting themselves, wanting to die or suicide. 

Trust your instincts. You know your child well, so if you’re concerned about how they’re coping or any changes in behaviour, then it’s worth talking to a professional.  

Where to get help 

There are many health professionals and organisations you can contact for help if you are concerned about your child’s coping or behaviour, including: 

• Your GP, an oncology social worker or someone else in your child’s treatment team – may be able to talk to your child, or help you decide whether to consult a psychologist 
• Psychologists and counsellors – can help you with communication and behavioural issues 
• School counsellors – are trained in child development and can be a great source of support and ideas 
• Psychiatrists – will see children with more serious issues (with a referral from your GP). 

More advice/support 

> Contact CanTeen (1800 835 932 or support@canteen.org.au) to talk to one of our counsellors or get recommendations for the right support for your child. 

> If your child insists nothing is wrong and refuses help, try texting or emailing them a link to CanTeen’s online community where they can talk to other young people who get what they’re going through or have a confidential and non-judgemental chat with a CanTeen counsellor. 

Useful sites/resources