Comparisons of distress in adolescents of cancer patients and controls

Abstract

Having a family member with cancer has been associated with symptoms of distress. While studies have reported distress in adolescents with a parent with cancer, few have included control groups of adolescents with healthy parents. Adolescents who had at least one parent diagnosed with cancer (n=27) and controls (n=23) completed questionnaires on PTSD, anxiety, depression, cancer risk perceptions, and family environment. Groups did not differ on anxiety and depression, but adolescents with an ill parent perceived their own risk for developing cancer as significantly higher than controls. Controls reported significantly higher levels of intrusive thoughts and avoidance regarding other stressful life events. A positive family environment was correlated with higher anxiety and depression, and expressiveness mediated the relations between family cohesion and anxiety. These preliminary findings suggest that distress reported in previous studies of adolescents with parents with cancer may be due to this transitional period of life.

Quality of Life of Multiethnic Adolescents Living with a Parent with Cancer

“…However, studies reported from Huizinga et al (2004) proved differently, in which they concluded that cancer may actually serve as a positive role that brings family members close together. Harris and Zakowski (2003) also accounted that adolescents of parental cancer expressed fewer symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder compared to that of a control group. These noticeable inconsistencies from various studies suggest that some adolescents may be more vulnerable to distress than others (Lindqvist et al, 2007), and as such the impact on their quality of life may also be understudied.…”

When a parent has cancer: An examination of the lived experience of adult children living at home

“…Welch et al acknowledge that there was great variability on participant scores. It is important to note that in a recent study, no differences were found in anxious-depressive symptoms among children whose parent had cancer and those whose parent was healthy (Harris & Zakowsky, 2003). In fact, adolescents whose parent had cancer had lower symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than adolescents whose parents were healthy (Harris & Zakowsky, 2003 caregivers.…”

“…These few investigations have focused predominantly on the impact of cancer on parents whose offspring have cancer (Goldbeck, 2001;McGrath & Chesler, 2004), the impact of parental cancer on children and adolescents (Harris & Zakowsky, 2003;Lewis, Hammond, & Woods, 1992;Osborn, 2007), and overwhelmingly on spouses of cancer patients (Case, 2004 For example, Welch, Wadsworth, and Compass (1996) examined the impact of a parental cancer diagnosis on children and adolescents. The authors found that while parents did not perceive any distress in their children (6 to 10 year olds) and adolescents (11-18 year olds) following the diagnosis, adolescents and children scored high in anxiety/depression and aggression measures.…”

Children's emotional adaptation to parental BMT

“…11 Additionally, findings indicate family variables of cohesion, expressiveness, family role strain and conflict are particularly important factors associated with children's responses to parental cancer. 8,[12][13][14][15][16][17] Given the lack of studies of children's responses to parental BMT, we addressed the following questions. (1) How does child adaptation as indicated by emotional response change across the parental BMT trajectory?…”