Objective: Surgery for paediatric cancer presents many stresses on patients and families. The authors aimed to understand the long-term impact of childhood cancer surgery on survivors and parents.
Methods:The study recruited participants from 11 Australia/New Zealand hospitals for telephone interviews. The authors used descriptive statistics to analyse participants' quantitative distress ratings and conducted thematic analysis of shared surgical experiences and needs.
Results:Of 32 participants (n = 17 survivors, n = 15 parents), survivors' mean age at surgery was 6.9 (SD = 5.17) and parents' children were 2.1 years old (SD = 1.41) at time of surgery. Survivors had surgery on average 15.2 years ago (SD = 6.72) andparents' children 11.5 years ago (SD = 3.94). Parents and survivors rated surgery as highly distressing. Pre-operatively, survivors recalled experiencing fear and pain mainly associated with pre-operative procedures. Post-operatively, survivors reported immobility and some lasting behavioural disturbances. Parents described preand intra-operative anxiety and stress and some lasting post-operative psychological disturbances. Experiences appeared to improve with clear/consistent communication from hospital staff, proximity to hospital, and with support for parents and children post-operatively.
Conclusions: Surgical treatment for childhood cancer can have a lasting impact forsurvivors and parents. Better information provision may improve families' surgical experience whilst reducing anxiety, distress and physical discomfort.
K E Y W O R D Schildren, paediatric cancer, parents, psychosocial, surgery
The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of Kundalini Yoga in reducing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) compared to a common treatment-as-usual condition using cognitive techniques. A secondary objective was to explore potential treatment mechanisms. Females aged 24 to 75 years with GAD ( n = 49) received either an 8-week Kundalini Yoga intervention ( n = 34) or an 8-week treatment-as-usual condition ( n = 15). The yoga condition resulted in lower levels of anxiety relative to the treatment-as-usual condition. Furthermore, changes in somatic symptoms mediated treatment outcome for Kundalini Yoga. Kundalini Yoga may show promise as a treatment for GAD, and this treatment might convey its effect on symptom severity by reducing somatic symptoms.
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