Personal and Social Resources Are Linked to Cognition and Health-Related Quality of Life in Childhood Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Personal and social resources may buffer the adverse effects of childhood cancer and its impact on cognition and quality of life. While childhood cancer survivors show domain-specific cognitive difficulties, little is known about their personal and social resources. We therefore investigated personal and social resources and their association with cognitive and quality-of-life outcomes in childhood cancer survivors. Seventy-eight survivors of childhood cancer of different etiologies (aged 7–16 years; ≥one year since treatment) and fifty-six healthy controls were included. Cognitive outcome was assessed by neuropsychological tests; personal and social resources, as well as health-related quality of life, were assessed by standardized questionnaires. In the social resource domain, peer integration was worse in survivors than in controls (puncorr < 0.04, d = 0.33). Personal resources and all other subscales of social resources did not significantly differ between survivors and controls. In survivors, the global resource score was significantly correlated with processing speed (r = 0.39, pcorr < 0.001) and quality of life (parent: r = 0.44; self-report: r = 0.46; pscorr < 0.001). In controls, no association occurred between resources and cognitive outcome, and the correlation between the global resource score and quality of life did not withstand correction for multiple comparison (parent: r = 0.28; self-report: r = 0.40, psuncorr < 0.001). After an adverse event such as childhood cancer, resources might play a particularly buffering role on cognitive performance and quality of life (when compared to the everyday life of healthy controls). This highlights the importance of interventions that strengthen the resources of children and their families, even years after cancer. Such resource-focused intervention could help to counteract long-term sequelae in cognitive outcomes and health-related quality of life.

Vivencias en la integración psicosocial de jóvenes y adultos jóvenes sobrevivientes de cáncer

“…40,41 Para algunos jóvenes, diseñar o reestructurar su proyecto de vida después de la enfermedad implica, no solo reevaluarse como personas, sino también replantearse las metas propuestas adaptándolas a los cambios causados por la en-fermedad y la reinvención que tuvieron que hacer de sí mismos. 40 Es más, para algunos esta reinvención conlleva el desarrollo del autocontrol, mayor autoestima, apegos y vida espiritual, transformándose en personas positivas para ser un aporte a los demás, en base al desarrollo de madurez psicológica, compasión y empatía, al forjar nuevos valores, prioridades y fortalezas, que les permitirán ser capaz de reconocer su propia vulnerabilidad y buscar las herramientas para cumplir el hito. 9,25,26 Este proceso, además, les permite resignificar la experiencia de haber padecido cáncer, logrando reconocer sus valores y con ello, su identidad.…”

“…El desarrollo de estos programas permitirá empoderarlos en su propia salud en base a la promoción de esta y la prevención de problemáticas secundarias al cáncer, dentro de los principios de una política de salud integral y de los propios recursos de los jóvenes. 40,44 Bibliografía…”

Internal and external self-affirmation resources: validation and assessment of psychometric properties of the spontaneous self-affirmation measure using structural equation modeling

“… Grawe (1997) describes resource activation as an unspecific cross-therapeutic mechanism of action in psychotherapy and its positive effects have been demonstrated in numerous studies (e.g., Goldbach et al, 2023 ). In the literature, resources are frequently divided into personal/individual (internal) and social (external) resources (e.g., Martin, 2002 ; Holmgreen et al, 2017 ; Salgado et al, 2022 ; Siegwart et al, 2022 ). Examples of internal resources are personal mastery beliefs (beliefs that one has the ability to control outcomes), self-efficacy beliefs, resilient coping, optimism, and a sense of coherence.…”

“…Examples of internal resources are personal mastery beliefs (beliefs that one has the ability to control outcomes), self-efficacy beliefs, resilient coping, optimism, and a sense of coherence. Examples of external resources are social integration, emotional support from others, material support, information, advice, spiritual benefits (for religious people, e.g., going to church) social support, parental support, peer integration and school integration ( National Research Council, 2003 ; Salgado et al, 2022 ; Siegwart et al, 2022 ). The self-affirmation factors Strengths , Values , and Social relations seem to fit well within this wider resource framework.…”