Depressive Symptomatology in Parents of Children with Chronic Oncologic or Hematologic Disease

Abstract

This study identified the frequency of depressive symptomatology in parents of children who were recently diagnosed with a chronic oncologic or hematologic disorder and explored the relationship between intrusion coping, avoidance coping, parental perceptions of support, perceptions of the severity of the child's illness, and depressive symptomatology. A repeated measures design involving a convenience sample of 32 parents (23 mothers and 9 fathers) completed questionnaires within 6 months of their child's diagnosis (Time 1) and 21 parents (17 mothers and 4 fathers) who completed them a second time approximately 12 months later ( Time 2). Fourteen of the 32 parents at Time I and 7 (all mothers) of the 21 parents at Time 2 had scores indicating depressive symptomatology. No significant change in mean depression scores occurred between Time 1 and Time 2. Avoidance coping was the only variable that significantly predicted depressive symptomatology at Time 1. These findings have significance for health care p...