The Correlation Between the Mental Health of Children With Cancer and Their Mothers

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Childhood cancer can affect the adjustment of children and their parents, especially their mothers. This study aimed to assess the correlation between the general health and illness perception of mothers of children with cancer with the quality of life of their children. Materials and Methods: This research was a cross-sectional study conducted on 100 children with cancer and their mothers referred to Ayatollah Kashani Hospital in Shahrekord City, Iran, from 2019 to 2021. They were selected by convenience sampling. The study data were collected by the general health questionnaire, brief illness perception questionnaire, questionnaire on the quality of life (QoL) of preschool children (1-6 years old), and questionnaire on the QoL of children (aged 8-12 years). The Pearson correlation test was used for data analysis. Results: Among the children with cancer, 43 were girls, and 57 were boys. The Mean±SD age of the children was 7.67±3.48 years. The results of the Pearson correlation test showed a significant correlation between the general health of mothers with the QoL of preschool children (r=-0.70, P<0.001) and the QoL of primary school children (r=-0.64, P<0.001) as well as the QoL of primary school children (completed by parents) (r=-0.65, P<0.001). The correlation between illness perception and other variables, such as the quality of life of preschool children (r=0.21, P=0.19) and the QoL of primary school children (r=0.18, P=0.18), were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Due to a significant correlation between mothers’ general health with the QoL of children with cancer, it is recommended that the medical and nursing team benefit from psychological interventions in this field for mothers and children with cancer.