Cognitive-behavioral stress management relieves anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder in parents of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia patients: a randomized, controlled study

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) is an effective psychological intervention to relieve psychological and symptomatic distress. This study aimed to investigate the effect of CBSM in anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in parents of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients.

Methods

Totally, 56 pediatric AML patients and 100 parents were randomized into the CBSM group (28 patients and 49 parents) and the normal control (NC) group (28 patients and 51 parents) to receive corresponding interventions for 10 weeks. The questionnaire scores were assessed at month M0, M1, M3, and M6.

Results

In parents of pediatric AML patients, self-rating anxiety scale score at M1 (p = 0.034), M3 (p = 0.010), and M6 (p = 0.003), as well as anxiety at M3 (p = 0.036) and M6 (p = 0.012) were decreased in the CBSM group versus the NC group. Self-rating depression scale score at M3 (p = 0.022) and M6 (p = 0.002), as well as depression at M6 (p = 0.019) were declined in the CBSM group versus the NC group. Symptom checklist-90 (a psychotic status questionnaire) score at M3 (p = 0.031) and M6 (p = 0.019) were declined in the CBSM group versus the NC group. Regarding PTSD, the impact of the events scale-revised score at M3 (p = 0.044) and M6 (p = 0.010) were decreased in the CBSM group versus the NC group. By subgroup analyses CBSM (versus NC) improved all outcomes in parents with anxiety at M0 and depression at M0 (all p < 0.050), but could not affect the outcomes in parents without anxiety or depression at M0 (all p > 0.050).

Conclusion

CBSM reduces anxiety, depression, and PTSD in parents of pediatric AML patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Cognitive-behavioral stress management
• parents
• pediatric acute myeloid leukemia
• anxiety and depression
• post-traumatic stress disorder

Acknowledgements

Authors’ contributions: LW and HD contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection were performed by LW, HD and HZ. ZW, SJ, YL, HL, JC contributed to the data analysis. The first draft of the manuscript was written by LW and HD. All authors revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Compliance with ethical standards

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee. All families signed an informed consent form.