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Biopsychosocial impact of parental cancer on schoolagers

Su, Ying-hwa
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1103543803

Abstract Details

2005, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Nursing.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Approximately 128,089 children in 1998 had a parent diagnosed with cancer. Parental cancer may be a pervasive stressful event for children, but the impact on children is largely unrecognized. How children cope with parental cancer and the effectiveness of their coping strategies is unknown. Based on an integration of Lazarus’s cognitive appraisal theory of stress and coping, cognitive developmental theory, social/emotional developmental theory, and physiologic stress response theory, this study aims to characterize the stress-coping process of children ages 7-12 who have a parent with cancer. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used with a convenience sample of 51 school-age children from a University support group, oncology outpatient clinics and inpatient units. Data were collected through questions related to children’s appraisal of their parents’ cancer, 3 saliva samples, a human figure drawing, four self-report instruments for children (concurrent stressors, coping, responses to parental cancer, relationships with parents) and two instruments for parents (relationship with the child and child behavior checklist). Children’s appraisal of having a parent with cancer was positively significantly correlated with the severity of their symptoms. Children identified “having your parents argue in front of you,” “not having homework done on time,” and “not spending enough time with parents” as stressors that occurred most frequently and were perceived as most severe. “Pray” was the most frequently used and effective coping strategy. The average cortisol level of the children was within the normal range. Stress symptoms were predominantly cognitive/emotional symptoms such as worried, cry or feel sad, afraid, nervous, bad, mad, and confused. More than half of the children had 2 or more than 2 emotional indicators in their drawings. The better the child-mother relationship, the more the children believed that their parents’ treatment would work. Children’s perceptions of their relationships with their mothers were negatively associated with their CBCL total scores. This is the first study to measure variables related to the entire scope of the stress-coping process. Findings from this study can be used as research-based guidance for developing nursing interventions for parents and children.
Nancy Ryan-Wenger (Advisor)
181 p.
stress; coping; school-age children; parental cancer

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Su, Y.-H. (2005). Biopsychosocial impact of parental cancer on schoolagers [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1103543803

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Su, Ying-hwa. Biopsychosocial impact of parental cancer on schoolagers. 2005. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1103543803.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Su, Ying-hwa. "Biopsychosocial impact of parental cancer on schoolagers." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1103543803

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1103543803
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© 2004, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.