The perceived influence of childhood cancer on the parents' relationship

Abstract

Objective When a child is diagnosed with cancer, parents are faced with many practical and emotional challenges that can significantly affect their relationship. This study explores how having a child with cancer affects the quality of the parents’ relationship; categorizes time points and events during the child’s treatment when the relationship becomes most stressed and/or strengthened; identifies factors that help couples remain emotionally engaged throughout their child’s cancer treatment; and assesses parental interest in a counseling intervention. Methods This is a cross sectional, multi-center study conducted via a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire that included The Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Results 192 parents of children diagnosed between the ages of 1–21 participated. Forty percent felt their relationship moved in a negative direction. Diagnosis and relapse of disease were cited as the most individually stressful time points in the disease trajectory, with hospitalizations and relapse being most stressful on the relationship. Participants felt most emotionally connected at diagnosis, and least emotionally connected at the start and end of treatment. The majority of couples indicated interest in counseling to address ways to support their relationship. Soon after diagnosis and during treatment was reported as the preferred time to offer these interventions. Conclusion This study identified specific events and parent behaviors that strain the couples’ relationship during the childhood cancer trajectory. This information can inform the development of a couple’s intervention. Prospective research is needed to better understand how childhood cancer affects caregivers’ partnerships through survivorship and beyond.

Relationship Between Mothers’ Concerns and Nursing Support of Children Admitted to Baqiyatallah Al-Azam Hospital of Ali Abad Katoul, Golestan Province, Iran, in 2018

“…The mean age of mothers was 30.1 ± 5. 4 According to Table 2, the mean score of nursing support was 72.01 ± 16.52, with 55% of the mothers (n = 88) perceiving a high level of support, 41.9% (n = 67) a moderate level of support, and 1.3% (n = 5) a low level of support. The highest score was related to parental credibility support.…”

“…Hospitalization is stressful for children and parents. Uncertain outcomes, frequent hospitalization, special treatments for the child, and watching children's pain and fear would increase the stress level of parents and affect their performance and future planning (4). Accordingly, the hospitalization of children is always considered a stressor for the children and their parents as parents often experience psychological problems such as stress and anxiety (5,6).…”

“The child is our focus”: On couple issues in child oncology treatment

“…The impact of childhood cancer on parents and their marital relationship is evident, and some studies have advocated for an enhanced attention for it in routine pediatric care . In our research, we aimed for a better understanding of the perspectives and experiences of parents and professionals at child oncology departments related to the attention given to parents and their marital relationship.…”

“…Reviews focusing on the effect of childhood cancer on the parents' marital satisfaction found both positive and negative changes. A growing body of literature emphasizes the importance of assessing relationship quality as part of routine psychological care throughout the treatment trajectory . Moreover, some argue for identifying parents at risk and implementing interventions aimed at strengthening the marital relationship of the parents …”

Gender‐specific differences in parental health‐related quality of life in childhood cancer

“…43,44 They are, for example, known to have different coping styles than mothers 43,44 and identify different events to be the most stressful to themselves during their child's cancer treatment. 45 Additionally, fathers can feel socially not supported, due to a lack of understanding and support from their employers and friends, who expect fathers to have a secondary role in the family system, and also the gendered organization of support systems, which are often primarily designed for mothers. 43 Overall, our study's findings have several clinical implications.…”