281 Differences in coping in parents of pediatric cancer patients and the relation with psychological distress

Abstract

Introduction How parents cope with cancer in their child may influence psychological functioning with time. Differences in coping in couples may impact psychological distress negatively. Method In a longitudinal controlled study parents of pediatrie cancer patients completed the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (measuring psychological distress), and the Utrecht Coping List (a Dutch standardised coping list, measuring active problem focusing, palliative reaction pattern, avoidance, social support seeking, depressive reaction pattern, expression of emotions and comforting cognitions) shortly after diagnosis (Tl) and 12 months (T2) later. Results On T1 differences in couples in their use of palliative reaction pattern and expression of emotions correlate for fathers with psychological distress (P < 0.005 and P < 0.05 resp.). For mothers no correlations were found. On T2 no correlations were found for fathers. However, for mothers differences in couples in their use of active problem focusing, avoidance, depressive reaction pattern and expression of emotions were found to correlate with psychological distress (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001, P < 0.05 respectively). Conclusion Differences in the use of coping in couples results for fathers in more psychological distress shortly after diagnosis and for mothers one year later. How parents cope with cancer in their child may influence psychological functioning with time. Differences in coping in couples may impact psychological distress negatively. In a longitudinal controlled study parents of pediatrie cancer patients completed the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (measuring psychological distress), and the Utrecht Coping List (a Dutch standardised coping list, measuring active problem focusing, palliative reaction pattern, avoidance, social support seeking, depressive reaction pattern, expression of emotions and comforting cognitions) shortly after diagnosis (Tl) and 12 months (T2) later. On T1 differences in couples in their use of palliative reaction pattern and expression of emotions correlate for fathers with psychological distress (P < 0.005 and P < 0.05 resp.). For mothers no correlations were found. On T2 no correlations were found for fathers. However, for mothers differences in couples in their use of active problem focusing, avoidance, depressive reaction pattern and expression of emotions were found to correlate with psychological distress (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001, P < 0.05 respectively). Differences in the use of coping in couples results for fathers in more psychological distress shortly after diagnosis and for mothers one year later.