The diagnosis and treatment of cancer present children and adolescents with significant stress. However, research on the ways that children and adolescents cope with cancer-related stress has not yielded clear findings on the efficacy of different coping strategies, and has been limited by reliance primarily on self-reports of both coping and distress. To address this gap, the current study used a control-based model of coping to examine self- and parent reports of child/adolescent coping and symptoms of anxiety and depression in a sample of children with cancer. Children and adolescents (5 to 17 years old) and their parents were recruited near the time of a child's diagnosis or relapse of cancer (M = 1.30 months postdiagnosis). Child self-reports (n = 153), mother reports (n = 297), and father reports (n = 161) of children's coping and symptoms of anxiety/depression were obtained. Bivariate correlations revealed significant associations for secondary control coping (efforts to adapt to source of stress; e.g., acceptance, cognitive reappraisal) and disengagement coping (e.g., avoidance, denial) with anxiety/depression within and across informants. Linear multiple regression analyses indicated that secondary control coping accounted for unique variance in symptoms of anxiety/depression both within and across informants. Secondary control coping appears important for children and adolescents during early phases of treatment for cancer, and it may serve as an important target for future interventions to enhance adjustment in these children.

Objective To examine associations between sociodemographic factors (single parenthood, family income, education level, race), stress, and psychological distress among pediatric cancer patients and their mothers. Methods Participants completed measures assessing sociodemographic variables, depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, general stress, and cancer-related stress within the first year of the child’s (ages 5–17 years) cancer diagnosis or relapse. Mothers (N = 318) provided self-reports and parent report of their children; children aged 10–17 years (N = 151) completed self-reports. Results Each sociodemographic variable demonstrated unique associations with mothers’ and children’s stress and distress in bivariate analyses. A cumulative sociodemographic risk measure was positively correlated with all stress and distress variables. In regression analyses predicting mothers’ and children’s distress, independent and cumulative sociodemographic measures were no longer significant when accounting for levels of stress. Conclusions Findings highlight the need to consider the ecological context of pediatric cancer, particularly the impact of sociodemographic disadvantage on stress and distress in this population.

To examine individual and interpersonal processes of coping and emotional distress in a sample of mothers and fathers of children with recently diagnosed cancer. A sample of 317 mothers and 166 fathers of 334 children were recruited near the time of the child's cancer diagnosis or relapse (M = 1.4 months, SD = 1.2). Mothers and fathers completed standardized measures of coping and depressive symptoms. Analyses of individual coping responses revealed that, for both mothers and fathers, primary control coping (e.g., problem solving, emotional modulation) and secondary control coping (e.g., acceptance, cognitive reappraisal) were associated with lower depressive symptoms. Interpersonal analyses of coping and distress indicated that mothers' and fathers' coping as well as depressive symptoms were significantly correlated. Actor-partner interdependence model analyses indicated that mothers' coping was associated with fathers' depressive symptoms. Significant interactions also suggested that mothers' secondary control coping may have a compensatory effect against fathers' use of disengagement coping, both for themselves and their husbands. Mothers' and fathers' adaptation to a child's cancer diagnosis and treatment are characterized by both individual and interpersonal processes, with secondary control coping playing a central role in both of these processes. Implications for interventions to enhance effective coping for parents of children with cancer are highlighted.

A pediatric cancer diagnosis can have a significant impact on the quality of life (QOL) of the child. Diagnosis and treatment impact caregiver anxiety/depression symptoms and family functioning, an...

Objective: Pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTSs) are at risk for impairments in social adjustment and psychological distress. This study investigated longitudinal associations between symptoms of social withdrawal and anxiety/depression in PBTS, as well as medical, demographic, and personal characteristics that may also influence reports of social withdrawal and anxiety/depression. Method: About 91 PBTS (51% male, mean age 11.21 years, off-treatment) participated. At baseline and 8 months follow-up, primary caregivers of PBTS completed measures of social withdrawal, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Medical information (e.g. tumor type and location, cranial irradiation therapy) and child personal characteristics (e.g. child’s age and gender, executive function, social skills) were obtained at baseline. Results: Baseline reports of depression symptoms and social skills predicted social withdrawal 8 months later. Social withdrawal at baseline predicted greater combined anxiety and depression symptoms 8 months later. Depression alone predicted greater anxiety symptoms at follow-up. Anxiety symptoms and poor global executive functioning predicted greater depression symptoms at follow-up. Conclusions: The social adjustment and psychological distress of PBTSs are interrelated and can influence each other across time. These findings support the importance of multifaceted interventions targeting both psychological distress and social adjustment, in order to support the optimal psychosocial adjustment of PBTSs.