Adjustment of siblings to childhood cancer: a literature review

Houtzager, Bregje A.; Grootenhuis, Martha A.; Last, B. F.

doi:10.1007/s005200050268

Cited by 121 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 42 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05 for acceptance in the enter model. were between 19 and 23 years (mean = 24.0, SD = 3.8, range [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] at the time of investigation. The average time since loss was 6.3 years (range 2-9, SD = 2.3).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

They still grieve—a nationwide follow‐up of young adults 2–9 years after losing a sibling to cancer

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives: The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of unresolved grief in bereaved young adult siblings and examine possible contributing factors.Methods: The study was a Swedish population-based study of young adults who had lost a brother or sister to cancer, 2-9 years earlier. Of 240 eligible siblings, 174 (73%) completed a study-specific questionnaire. This study focused on whether the respondents had worked through their grief over the sibling's death and to what extent.Results: A majority (54%) of siblings stated that they had worked through their grief either 'not at all' or 'to some extent' at the time of investigation. In multiple regression analyses with unresolved grief as the dependent variable, 21% of the variance was explained by lack of social support and shorter time since loss.Conclusion: The majority of bereaved young adults had not worked through their grief over the sibling's death. A small group of siblings reported that they had not worked through their grief at all, which may be an indicator of prolonged grief. Lack of social support and more recent loss were associated with not having worked through the grief over the sibling's death.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

They still grieve—a nationwide follow‐up of young adults 2–9 years after losing a sibling to cancer

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Several studies have identified maladaptive levels of anxiety and depression in healthy siblings of childhood cancer patients [Cain et al, 1964;Spinetta, 1981], although the distress tends to remit once the cancer treatment stops [Van Dongen-Melman et al, 1995]. One possible explanation is that overwhelmed parents may neglect the psychological and physical needs of their healthy children [Sahler et al, 1994;Zeltzer et al, 1996;Houtzager et al, 1999;Murray, 2000] and, perhaps, leave them to contend with feelings of loneliness, fear, anger, hate and jealousy [Martinson et al, 1990;Murray, 1998]. In this way, parent-child bonding or attachment may be harmed and lead to psychological distress in the child [Fanos, 1997;Murray, 2000].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic testing for hereditary colorectal cancer in children: Long‐term psychological effects

Codori

Zawacki

Petersen

et al. 2002

American J of Med Genetics Pt A

100

106

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Children who carry a gene mutation for familial adenomatous polyposis are virtually certain to develop colorectal cancer without annual endoscopic screening and a colectomy when polyps appear. Predictive genetic testing can identify children who need regular surveillance. While the medical benefits of genetic testing are clear, the psychological effects have not been well studied. We evaluated the long-term psychological effects of genetic testing in 48 children and their parents. In each family, one parent was a known APC gene mutation carrier. Before genetic testing, and three times afterward, participants completed measures of psychological functioning, which, for children, included depression and anxiety symptoms, and behavior problems and competencies. Parents completed a measure of depression symptoms. Data were collected at 3-, 12-, and 23-55 months after disclosure. Twenty-two children tested positive; 26 children tested negative. Mean length of follow-up was 38 months. There were no clinically significant changes in mean psychological test scores in children or parents, regardless of the children's test results or the sex of the affected parent. However, the group of children who tested positive and had a mutation-positive sibling showed significant, but subclinical, increases in depression symptoms. Furthermore, several individual mutation-negative children with a positive sibling had clinical elevations in anxiety symptoms at one or more follow-up. Behavior problems declined for all groups, and behavior competence scores remained unchanged. We conclude that most children do not suffer clinically significant psychological distress after testing. However, because some children showed clinically significant anxiety symptoms, long-term psychological support should be available to those families with both mutation-positive and mutation-negative children, and with multiple mutation-positive children. Our findings should call for a multidisciplinary approach to genetic testing for children.

show abstract

“…These behaviors contribute to the burnout care providers experience, 11,12 but also leave a sad and bitter memory of this period in the family, which is even more intense if the child dies. However, the feeling of their value is based on being competent as parents (for all their children [13][14][15] ), but it is also based on preserving their family and social role. Finally, we should not forget that such units are 'a closed world', where the parents spend days and weeks together, and exert both a positive and a negative influence on each other.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How do parents perceive high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation for their children

Oppenheim

Valteau-Couanet

Vasselon

et al. 2002

Bone Marrow Transplant

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary:Our objective was to understand the parents' perception of children treated in an ASCT unit. Parents (40) of children and adolescents were interviewed by the department psychiatrist-psychoanalyst, over 9 months. They expressed great distress (22), considerable difficulty in assuming their parental role (with feelings of helplessness and guilt), and had distorted relations with the child whose behavior was unusual and incomprehensible (22). The relation with care providers, who should be 'all-powerful' and harmless, was ambivalent (15). They found it difficult to think or refused to do so, because their 'thoughts are terrifying', and they wanted to forget everything (11). The couple was going through a crisis (9). Temporal landmarks were disturbed (8); ASCT was experienced as a threatening discontinuity in the course of treatment (parents were unable to think of the past, the future, or the present); social landmarks were disturbed (6) with loss of social and professional relations. We concluded that parents may experience intense distress and disorientation. Trained to understand the parents' and their children's thoughts and behavior, the medical team, which includes a psychooncologist, can better help them to understand and support the children, to strike a balance between their parental role and other responsibilities, and prevent conflicts.

show abstract

Adjustment of siblings to childhood cancer: a literature review

Cited by 121 publications

References 42 publications

They still grieve—a nationwide follow‐up of young adults 2–9 years after losing a sibling to cancer

They still grieve—a nationwide follow‐up of young adults 2–9 years after losing a sibling to cancer

Genetic testing for hereditary colorectal cancer in children: Long‐term psychological effects

How do parents perceive high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation for their children

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About