Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Stress, Psychoneurologic Symptoms, and Coping Strategies in Adolescents and Young Adults

Psychoneurologic symptoms commonly reported by adolescents and young adults (AYAs) following hematopoetic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) include anxiety, depression, fatigue, and pain. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) appeals to AYAs as a means of coping with these symptoms. One example of CAM is a publicly available illness blog authored by a young adult woman undergoing HSCT.

AT A GLANCE

• Internet ethnography was used to study the online illness blog; this relatively new method allows the researcher to understand the lived experience of an individual in an online world.
• Psychoneurologic symptoms experienced by a blogger aligned with symptoms outlined in previous qualitative studies of AYAs undergoing transplantation.
• Blogging is a CAM method that may be useful to the upcoming, technologically savvy population during times of intense stress and isolation, such as during HSCT.