Social Work Scholar Examines Cancer Patients’ Relationships With Their Daughters

Venera Bekteshi, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Illinois, is the lead author of a study that explores the relationships of mothers who have cancer with their young daughters. The study was published in the journal Psycho-Oncology.

The women in the study ranged in age from 27 to 45 and had undergone cancer treatment. All had daughters ranging in age from  nine months to 18 years. The study found that mutual concern about each other’s well-being enabled mothers and daughters to become more comfortable with emotional expression.

“Young girls are going through a lot of developmental challenges, and adolescence is a really essential phase for them,” said Dr. Bekteshi. “Having a parent with cancer can really add to those challenges and affect girls’ futures overall – their success, their social functioning and how they relate to others when they’re adults.”

Dr. Bekteshi is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. She holds master’s degrees from St. John’s University and Columbia University and third master’s degree and a Ph.D. in social work from Boston College. The study was co-authored by Karen Kayser, the Dr. Renato LaRocca Endowed Chair in Oncology Social Work at the University of Louisville.