Purpose
The purpose of this review was to synthesize current knowledge about anxiety among adolescent survivors of pediatric cancer and highlight areas for future research.
Methods
Systematic literature searches were conducted in five databases for articles published anytime before December 28, 2015. Manuscripts were reviewed by a team of six coders. Included manuscripts reported outcomes relevant to anxiety, worry, and posttraumatic stress in survivors of pediatric cancer (age at time of study: 10–22 years) who were off-treatment.
Results
Twenty-five articles met inclusion criteria. Included results were categorized into the following domains: posttraumatic stress, anxiety, cancer-related worry, and interventions. With the exception of posttraumatic stress, there was little research about anxiety in this population; however, studies generally indicated that adolescent survivors of pediatric cancer are at elevated risk for anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and cancer-related worry.
Conclusions
This review provides preliminary evidence that anxiety is a relevant, but understudied, psychosocial outcome for adolescent survivors of pediatric cancer. More research is needed to better understand the presentation of anxiety in this population, its effect on survivors’ quality of life, and possible areas for intervention.