Impact of a Parent-based Interdisciplinary Intervention for Mothers on Adjustment in Children Newly Diagnosed with Cancer

Overview

Journal J Pediatr Psychol

Publisher Oxford University Press

Date 2013 Mar 9

PMID 23471362

Citations 26

Authors

David A Fedele

Stephanie E Hullmann

Mark Chaffin

Carole Kenner

Mark J Fisher

Katherine Kirk

Angelica R Eddington

Sean Phipps

Rene Y McNall-Knapp

Larry L Mullins

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To determine if maternal distress predicts child adjustment outcomes or if child adjustment outcomes predict maternal distress among children newly diagnosed with cancer, and if a parent-focused intervention has downstream effects on child adjustment.

Methods: Mothers (n = 52) were randomly assigned to a clinic-based, interdisciplinary intervention for parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer. Measures of maternal distress and child adjustment were collected at baseline, posttreatment, and follow-up.

Results: A lagged relationship was identified between maternal distress and child internalizing symptoms, but not externalizing symptoms. The parent intervention reduced child internalizing and externalizing symptoms at follow-up. Only the child internalizing symptoms effect was mediated by reduced maternal distress. The child externalizing symptoms effect was mediated by unobserved parent factors.

Conclusions: This study provides support for illness adjustment and coping models that emphasize the role of parent factors in driving child adjustment outcomes and is encouraging for future parent-focused intervention research.

Citing Articles

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