Trajectories and risk factors for anxiety and depression in children and adolescents with cancer: A 1‐year follow‐up

Abstract

BACKGROUND There is limited data on the longitudinal trajectories of psychiatric disorders in children with cancer and risk factors for their persistence. The current study aimed to longitudinally assess the trajectories and risk factors for anxiety and depressive symptoms and disorders in children and adolescents with cancer. METHODS Children and adolescents with cancer and their parents completed the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Depression and Anxiety Module and were interviewed by the semi‐structured Affective and Anxiety Modules of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School‐Age Children (K‐SADS), at 4 time points, 1, 4, 7, and 12 months following the diagnosis of cancer. RESULTS Of the 99 patients enrolled, 48% met criteria for anxiety and/or depressive disorders at least once during the follow‐up period. There was a significant decrease in PROMIS pediatric and parent anxiety and depression scores (all p's < 0.01) and in the rate of depressive disorders over time (p = 0.02), while rates of anxiety disorders remained stable. Anxiety PROMIS pediatric and parent scores at baseline, having brain tumors and being in the acute treatment phase significantly predicted the presences of anxiety disorders at endpoint. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the importance of screening for anxiety and disorders in children with cancer, especially among those with brain tumors and at the acute phase of treatment.

Left alone outside: A prospective observational cohort study on mental health outcomes among relatives of COVID-19 hospitalized patients

“…Similarly, the cutoff point for probable depression was set at T≥59.9, equivalent to the PHQ-9 standard cutoff score for moderate depression (=10) ( Bevans et al, 2014 ; Choi et al, 2014 ). PROMIS was validated in Hebrew using the standard procedure of translation and back translation by independent bilingual English-Hebrew speakers ( Yardeni et al, 2021 , 2020 ).…”

Psychological Overview of Children with Cancer: Systematic Review

“…The majority of the articles analyzed found that children and adolescents with cancer experienced anxiety and depression. According to Yardeni et al (2021), 48% of children experienced anxiety and/or depression at least once throughout the follow-up period. This is similar to Eldin et al, (2019), who found that cancer children had more mood swings, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and separation anxiety than the control group (p = 0.001).…”

The Use of Psychotropic Medication in Pediatric Oncology for Acute Psychological and Psychiatric Problems: Balancing Risks and Benefits

“…Currently, there are no clear indications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [ 28 ] or European Medicines Agency (EMA) [ 29 ] for psychopharmacological medications in medically ill children with delirium, depression, or anxiety [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ].…”