Distress Tolerance in Mothers of Children with Cancer for Predicting Her Parenting Style and Child’s Attachment Behaviors: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Childhood cancer leads to emotional disruption and distress in mothers. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine how much maternal distress tolerance could predict parenting style and the child’s attachment behaviors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, which was carried out in May and June 2018 in Mahak Hospital (a specialized pediatric oncology hospital), based on Morgan tables, 130 mothers of children with cancer (leukemia or brain tumor) participated. The available sampling method was used. Simultaneous multiple regression analysis by SPSS 24 was applied for data analysis. Results: The results of this study showed that the level of low distress tolerance predicted authoritarian parenting style (P < 0.05) and high tolerance predicted logistic authority (P < 0.001), while the permissive style was not predicted with maternal disturbances. On the other hand, high tolerance foresaw positive adaptive evolution and low tolerance projected emotional response and negative behaviors of the child with cancer (P < 0.001), but could not predict avoidance behavior. Conclusions: Mothers with more ability for disruption tolerance tended to use the authoritative parenting style and mothers, who were more disrupted, were more likely to use authoritarian style. Mothers with less disturbance in the development of positive adaptive evolution and management of emotional reactions and negative behaviors in the patient’s child were more effective (or at least had a more positive perception of their child’s excitement and behavior), but maternal disturbances had a disturbing behavior in children with cancer. The education of distress management is recommended for mothers with a child with cancer.