The impact of caregiver anxiety/depression symptoms and family functioning on child quality of life during pediatric cancer treatment: From diagnosis to 6 months

Abstract

Objectives:

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, and these in turn may influence child QOL. However, there has been limited longitudinal examination of the impact of both caregiver anxiety/depression symptoms and family functioning on youth QOL at specific points during the early diagnosis and treatment period.

Methods:

Ninety-six caregivers of youth (diagnosed with leukemia/lymphoma or a solid tumor) reported on their own anxiety/depression symptoms, family functioning, demographic and medical factors, and on their child’s generic and cancer-specific QOL shortly after diagnosis (T1) and 6 months later (T2).

Results:

Caregiver anxiety/depression symptoms were associated with poorer cancer-specific and generic child QOL within and across time points. Family conflict was associated with youth cancer-related QOL at T1.

Conclusions:

Attendance to caregiver anxiety/depression symptoms and family functioning, beginning early in the cancer trajectory, is an important aspect of family-centered care. Routine psychosocial screening and triage may help identify and intervene to support both caregiver and child psychosocial well-being.

Keywords:

• Pediatric
• anxiety/depression
• cancer
• family
• quality of life
• quantitative

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute (grant number 702843)