Sharing the secret: The effects of sharing mothers’ breast cancer on Arab children’s emotional and behavioral status

A diagnosis of breast cancer implies an emotional burden on the patient’s personal and family functioning, especially in traditional societies. Along with the physical and emotional difficulties that are inherent to cancer, there is also a tendency in Arab society to keep the disease a secret. The present study examined the impact of sharing information about the mother’s illness on the emotional and educational scholastic functioning of children of Arab Israeli women with breast cancer. The sample included 39 Arab women with breast cancer, their school aged children and their children’s teachers, who answered self-report questionnaires. Findings indicated that mothers and children who shared information related to the illness reported more perceived social support, children’s higher academic achievements, fewer emotional and behavioral problems, and higher pro-social behaviors than children and mothers who did not share information regarding the illness. This study underscores the role of sharing information about breast-cancer illness among Arab mothers, on the emotional and scholastic functioning of their children. Further research is needed to provide a way to facilitate the information-sharing process in the community, and to prevent the negative ‘ripple effect’ of concealing the mother’s illness in Arab society.