Emotional and behavioural problems in children dealing with maternal breast cancer: a literature review

ABSTRACT

A significant number of breast cancer survivors are living with their minor children. In this review we investigated the impact of maternal breast cancer on children. A literature search conducted through PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and CINAHL yielded 26 relevant studies, which documented a variety of effects. Evidence has been presented that dealing with maternal breast cancer can cause uncertainty, anxiety and depression in children, but may also lead to enhanced social and academic performance. The risk of problems in these children is reported to be associated with both low parental affective responsiveness and excessive parental involvement. Internalising child problems were shown to be linked with maternal depression and family dysfunction, and externalising problems with family dysfunction and communication problems. Some of these problems may be modified by interventions for supporting these families, which should be designed to include both parents and children, and also the healthcare personnel.

KEYWORDS:

• Children
• emotional and behavioural problems
• maternal
• breast cancer

Disclosure of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Notes on contributors

Kalliopi Stefanou is a PhD-Candidate at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. She has a master’s degree in healthcare management. She has been working as a registered nurse since 2006, one year at Attikon Hospital and 10 years at Konstantopouleio Hospital. She lectures to nursing specialty students at Sismanogleio Hospital, Greece.

Eleni Zografos is a biologist, with extensive experience in various molecular and histological techniques, and is currently enrolled in the School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece (MD-Candidate and PhD-Candidate). She has numerous publications in international and national peer-reviewed journals in areas of molecular biology and medical oncology.

Georgios C. Zografos is a Professor of Surgery and Chairman of the 1st Department of Propaedeutic Surgery of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) Medical School in Hippokration General Hospital, Greece. He is also the Vice Rector of Health and Social Policy Issues at NKUA. His other current positions include: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology – Adjunct Professor, New European Surgical Academy (NESA) – National Representative of Greece. He has more than 300 publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Grigoris Vaslamatzis, MD., is Professor of Psychiatry – Psychotherapy and director of Psychotherapies Centre of the 1st Department of Psychiatry of Athens University, Greece. He is training and supervising psychoanalysts; he is a member of the Hellenic Society of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and fellow of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry.

Constantine G. Zografos is a Resident in Surgery. He has a degree in Medicine and is currently a Master’s student (Master’s Degree in Surgical Oncology) and a PhD candidate at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. He has several publications in international peer-reviewed journals (52 citations, h-index: 4).

Gerasimos Kolaitis is an Associate Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Director of the MSc “Mental Health of Children and Adolescents” at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. He has participated in many multicenter European projects (e.g. Psychotherapy of Childhood Depression, COSIP, Mental Health Europe, EDIG, CAMHEE). He has more than 90 publications in peer-reviewed international journals and chapters in books, and 40 Greek scientific publications.