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A descriptive phenomenological qualitative study was conducted using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Guided by the Self-Determination Theory, 3 main themes-obstacles to autonomous participation, deficits in competence, and insufficient relational connections-and 8 subthemes were identified. The perspectives of the parents revealed a multi-layered anxiety related to the fear of missing critical opportunities and support. Healthcare professionals should pay attention to this unique anxiety subtype and develop systematic support networks to restore parents\u2019 sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, thereby effectively alleviating their FoMO.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/13591053261475774","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T04:30:43Z","timestamp":1787545843000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["What have I missed again: A qualitative study exploring parents of children with cancer\u2019s experiences of fear of missing out"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"given":"Weifei","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yanfang","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tianqi","family":"Wei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Juan","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yifei","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2651-9965","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lei","family":"Shi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ahmadi M Beiranvand S Haghighi S et al. (2025) Predictive role of perceived social support and psychological distress on caregiver burden in parents of children with cancer. Seminars in Oncology Nursing 41: 151851. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.soncn.2025.151851","DOI":"10.1016\/j.soncn.2025.151851"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Alsirafy SA Nagy R Hassan AD et al. (2021) Caregiver burden among family caregivers of incurable cancer patients in two eastern Mediterranean countries. BMC Palliative Care 20: 163. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12904-021-00857-5","DOI":"10.1186\/s12904-021-00857-5"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Burkitt WT (2025) Conformity and competence frustration: A self-determination theory perspective. Psychological Reports. 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