Family management of pediatric cancer: Links with parenting satisfaction and psychological distress
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2018
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Research has long acknowledged the disruptions posed by pediatric cancer
diagnosis and treatment to family life. Nonetheless, the mechanisms through which the
family response influences parents’ mental health in this adverse context are not fully
understood. The main goal of the present study was to examine the direct and indirect
links, via parenting satisfaction, between family condition management and
psychological distress of parents of children with cancer. Participants were 201 parents
(86.6% mothers) of children/adolescents diagnosed with cancer who completed selfreport questionnaires assessing family condition management (family life difficulty and
parental mutuality), parenting satisfaction and psychological distress (anxiety and
depression). Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed mediation
model. The results showed that parenting satisfaction mediated the association between
both the family condition management dimensions (family life difficulty and parental
mutuality) and depression. Specifically, greater family life difficulties and lower
parental mutuality were associated with lower parenting satisfaction, which, in turn, was
associated with higher levels of depression. Additionally, greater family life difficulties
and lower parental mutuality were directly linked to higher levels of anxiety. Multigroup analyses suggested that the model was valid across patient age groups (children
vs. adolescents) and treatment status (on vs. off-treatment). These findings reinforce the
need for family- and parent-based interventions in the pediatric oncology field.
Interventions that target families’ difficulties and promote their resources are likely to
foster parenting satisfaction and psychological adjustment.
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Artigo - Family Process
Palavras-chave
PSICOLOGIA, PEDIATRIA, CANCRO, FAMILIA, STRESS PARENTAL, PSYCHOLOGY, PAEDIATRICS, CANCER, FAMILY, PARENTAL STRES