Psychosocial Correlates of Paediatric Cancer in the United Arab Emirates

Overview

Journal Support Care Cancer

Specialties Critical Care
Oncology

Date 2003 Mar 6

PMID 12618929

Citations 3

Authors

V Eapen

Tamas Revesz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

To study the psychosocial factors and illness variables associated with children's and parents' perceptions of and ways of coping with cancer, in 38 childhood cancer patients aged 5-15 years, coping was studied in relation to sociodemographic variables and self-perception in terms of competence, behaviour and self-worth. Less optimal coping was found to be associated with poor family communications and lack of sharing/expression of emotions ( P=0.005), presence of behavioural and emotional problems in the child ( P=0.008) and parental lack of hope ( P=0.001). No association was found with gender, parental education or occupation, socioeconomic status, or child's self-perception including global estimation of self-worth. Furthermore, none of the illness variables was found to be associated with coping. Awareness about health-related issues was found to be strongly associated with parental education ( P=0.000). Our findings suggest that parental hope and both social and family communication are integral to helping patients and families cope with the illness experience.

Citing Articles

Informational Support in Pediatric Oncology: Review of the Challenges Among Arab Families.

Otmani N, Khattab M J Cancer Educ. 2016; 33(4):732-736.

PMID: 27864789 DOI: 10.1007/s13187-016-1137-8.

Religious involvement and health in dialysis patients in Saudi Arabia.

Zaben F, Khalifa D, Sehlo M, Al Shohaib S, Binzaqr S, Badreg A J Relig Health. 2014; 54(2):713-30.

PMID: 25316206 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-014-9962-8.

The psychosocial experience of adolescents with haematological malignancies in Jordan: an interpretive phenomenological analysis study.

Al Omari O, Wynaden D ScientificWorldJournal. 2014; 2014:274036.

PMID: 24550700 PMC: 3914442. DOI: 10.1155/2014/274036.

References

Jaspers J, Kamps W, Klip E . Risk factors for psychological maladjustment of parents of children with cancer. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1999; 38(12):1526-35. DOI: 10.1097/00004583-199912000-00014. View

Meadows A, Hobbie W . The medical consequences of cure. Cancer. 1986; 58(2 Suppl):524-8. DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(19860715)58:2+<524::aid-cncr2820581319>3.0.co;2-c. View

Last B, Grootenhuis M . Emotions, coping and the need for support in families of children with cancer: a model for psychosocial care. Patient Educ Couns. 1998; 33(2):169-79. DOI: 10.1016/s0738-3991(97)00077-3. View

Mulhern R, Wasserman A, Friedman A, Fairclough D . Social competence and behavioral adjustment of children who are long-term survivors of cancer. Pediatrics. 1989; 83(1):18-25. View

Frank N, Blount R, Brown R . Attributions, coping, and adjustment in children with cancer. J Pediatr Psychol. 1997; 22(4):563-76. DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/22.4.563. View

Rustoen T, Wiklund I . Hope in newly diagnosed patients with cancer. Cancer Nurs. 2000; 23(3):214-9. DOI: 10.1097/00002820-200006000-00009. View

Humpl T, Fritsche M, Bartels U, Gutjahr P . Survivors of childhood cancer for more than twenty years. Acta Oncol. 2001; 40(1):44-9. DOI: 10.1080/028418601750071046. View

Hurtig A, Koepke D, Park K . Relation between severity of chronic illness and adjustment in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease. J Pediatr Psychol. 1989; 14(1):117-32. DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/14.1.117. View

Goldbeck L . Parental coping with the diagnosis of childhood cancer: gender effects, dissimilarity within couples, and quality of life. Psychooncology. 2001; 10(4):325-35. DOI: 10.1002/pon.530. View

10.

Boman K, Bodegard G . Long-term coping in childhood cancer survivors: influence of illness, treatment and demographic background factors. Acta Paediatr. 2000; 89(1):105-11. DOI: 10.1080/080352500750029167. View

11.

Fritz G, Williams J, Amylon M . After treatment ends: psychosocial sequelae in pediatric cancer survivors. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1988; 58(4):552-561. DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.1988.tb01619.x. View

12.

Grootenhuis M, Last B . Adjustment and coping by parents of children with cancer: a review of the literature. Support Care Cancer. 1997; 5(6):466-84. DOI: 10.1007/s005200050116. View

13.

Sollner W, Maislinger S, DeVries A, Steixner E, Rumpold G, Lukas P . Use of complementary and alternative medicine by cancer patients is not associated with perceived distress or poor compliance with standard treatment but with active coping behavior: a survey. Cancer. 2000; 89(4):873-80. DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(20000815)89:4<873::aid-cncr21>3.0.co;2-k. View

14.

Molassiotis A . A conceptual model of adaptation to illness and quality of life for cancer patients treated with bone marrow transplants. J Adv Nurs. 1997; 26(3):572-9. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.1997.t01-18-00999.x. View

15.

Kupst M, SCHULMAN J . Long-term coping with pediatric leukemia: a six-year follow-up study. J Pediatr Psychol. 1988; 13(1):7-22. DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/13.1.7. View

16.

Teta M, Del Po M, Kasl S, MEIGS J, Myers M, Mulvihill J . Psychosocial consequences of childhood and adolescent cancer survival. J Chronic Dis. 1986; 39(9):751-9. DOI: 10.1016/0021-9681(86)90158-x. View

17.

Grassi L, Rosti G . Psychosocial morbidity and adjustment to illness among long-term cancer survivors. A six-year follow-up study. Psychosomatics. 1996; 37(6):523-32. DOI: 10.1016/S0033-3182(96)71516-5. View

18.

Barbarin O, Chesler M . The medical context of parental coping with childhood cancer. Am J Community Psychol. 1986; 14(2):221-35. DOI: 10.1007/BF00911822. View

19.

MOE P, Holen A, Glomstein A, Madsen B, Hellebostad M, Stokland T . Long-term survival and quality of life in patients treated with a national all protocol 15-20 years earlier: IDM/HDM and late effects?. Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 1997; 14(6):513-24. DOI: 10.3109/08880019709030908. View

20.

Jaspers J, Kamps W, Klip E . Gender differences in psychological adaptation and coping in parents of pediatric cancer patients. Psychooncology. 1998; 7(1):26-36. DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1611(199801/02)7:1<26::AID-PON315>3.0.CO;2-0. View