Psychological Distress in Parents of Children with Cancer: A Descriptive Correlational Study

15Citations
Citations of this article
102Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to ascertain levels of distress and contributing factors among parent caregivers of pediatric cancer patients in Singapore. Methods: In this descriptive correlational study, parental caregivers were recruited via convenience sampling during their child's inpatient admission or outpatient appointment. They were asked to complete a self-administered demographic survey and the Distress Thermometer for Parents (DT-P) tool. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and correlation analyses were performed. Results: The mean DT-P score was 5.07 (standard deviation = 2.78), out of a maximum of 10. Distress was reported among 67.9% (n = 55) of caregivers. The cognitive domain of caregiving problems on the DT-P was found to correlate with distress. Parents most frequently reported cognitive problems (n = 21, 25.9%) and, least often, social problems (n = 6, 7.4%). Practical (P = 0.040), emotional (P = 0.001), physical (P = 0.026), and cognitive problems (P = 0.001) of caregiving were statistically significantly associated with distress. Conclusions: Notable levels of distress and proportions of distressed parents highlighted the heavy burden of caregiving. This may also be attributed to the differences in caregiving challenges. The psychological effects of parental caregiving highlight the need for supportive measures for pediatric cancer caregivers.

References Powered by Scopus

Normal cognitive aging

1409Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Longitudinal studies

474Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Distress management, version 3.2019

468Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

Disparities in parental distress in a multicenter clinical trial for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

5Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Cell Neoplasms in Children as a Factor Inducing Negative Emotions and Toxic Stress in Parents

2Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Anxiety, Depressive Symptoms, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Their Associated Factors among Caregivers of Children with Cancer: A Cross-section Study

1Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Isabel Tan, X., Mordiffi, S., Lopez, V., & Leong, K. (2021). Psychological Distress in Parents of Children with Cancer: A Descriptive Correlational Study. Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing, 8(1), 94–102. https://doi.org/10.4103/apjon.apjon_46_20

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 19

79%

Lecturer / Post doc 4

17%

Professor / Associate Prof. 1

4%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Nursing and Health Professions 16

64%

Medicine and Dentistry 5

20%

Psychology 3

12%

Philosophy 1

4%

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free