1575P Psychological burden in mothers of children with cancer

Abstract

Mothers have an important role in the management of children with cancer as they take the foremost duty of care giving. Therefore, they may be affected by severe psychological distress and symptoms of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress are commonly reported in this population. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in mothers of children with cancer. Mothers of children being treated for a childhood cancer (n=24) completed questionnaire investigating depression and PTSS. Depression was evaluated using the 13 items Beck's depressive inventory (BDI). The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) assessed the presence and severity of PTSS. The mean age of participants was 38.33 years old. The mean age of the children was 9 years and 3 months [2 years and 8 months – 17 years]. The mean number of months since the diagnosis was 7.6 months [2-13]. The average duration of treatment was 7.9 months [2-13]. The mean score of depression was 18.33 [2-39] and was within the range of moderate level. All but one mother had a score indicating presence of depression and 57.1% had severe depression. PTSS were common among mothers (90.1%). The mean score was 45.27 [5-70] and 77.3% had scores indicating a possible diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder. The psychological burden in mothers of children with cancer seems to be very common. The detection of distress or impairment symptoms in this population is important, and burdened mothers should be given the help they need.