Parental distress in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A systematic review of the literature.

Abstract

The present study is a systematic review of factors and consequences of parental distress following their children's acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) diagnosis. PubMed, Web of Science, and APA PsycInfo databases were searched. Twenty-eight papers were included, with only three longitudinal studies. Fifteen studies explored factors of parental distress, including sociodemographic, psychosocial, psychological, family, health, and ALL-specific variables. Correlations were found between social support, illness cognitions, coping strategies, and parental distress, as well as contradictory results regarding sociodemographic variables. Family cohesion and the overall impact of illness were associated with parental distress. Resilience factors contributed negatively to parental distress symptoms, and perceived caregiver strain and negative child's emotional functioning contributed positively. Thirteen papers explored the consequences of parental distress, including psychological, family, health, and social/education factors. Distress was correlated with care burden and contributed to family strain, child's symptom burden, and parental protective behavior. Significant correlations were found between parental distress, at diagnosis, and further adjustment of parents and children. Most papers reported correlations between parental distress and psychological condition and quality of life; few studies reported no association. Correlations between maternal depression and child's participation in education and social life were found. Differences on distress were found regarding parents' gender, age, children's group risk, and treatment phases. Longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the phenomenon and its consequences. Future interventions should address parents' mental health needs in an early and ongoing assessment in order to promote healthier outcomes.

Risco Psicossocial E Distress Em Cuidadores De Crianças Com Câncer

“…Observou-se com essa característica a condição de proteção entre elas que sinalizou um melhor ajustamento psicológico ligado a presença de um relacionamento estável. Foi evidenciado também o predomínio de diagnóstico de leucemias, que pode indicar maior tempo da criança ou adolescente no tratamento e corrobora com outros estudos sobre câncer, onde o tempo da família envolvida no processo do cuidar será maior, deixando-os mais vulneráveis a riscos (Dionne-Odom et al, 2019), maior sofrimento parental (Ferraz, Santos, & Pereira, 2023) e maior vulnerabilidade para ansiedade, depressão e transtorno do estresse pós-traumático .…”

The influence of WeChat education and care program on anxiety, depression, insomnia, and general state of health in parents of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients

“…Currently, the advancement of chemotherapy protocols and the development of supportive care have improved the prognosis of pediatric ALL patients, with a 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of 79.9%–90.4% (Hunger et al 2012 ; Gunes et al 2014 ; Ma H et al 2014 ; Inaba and Pui 2021 ). However, the diagnosis of pediatric ALL imposes a serious burden on the physical and psychological health of patients’ parents (Mogensen et al 2022 ; Ferraz et al 2023 ). Evidence shows that a considerable proportion of parents of pediatric ALL patients suffer from mental distress, sleep problems, and reduced quality of life (Iqbal and Siddiqui 2002 ; Wang J et al 2017 ; Rensen et al 2022 ).…”

Development and user evaluation of an online caregiver education resource for Malaysian parents of children with leukemia or lymphoma

“…Children with leukemia and lymphoma often require frequent hospital visits and stays for monitoring and treatment, resulting in a heavy caregiving burden on their parents. 4 …”