Anxiety In Parents Of Children Research Articles

Life quality, depression, and anxiety levels in parents of children with primary immunodeficiency.

Primary immune deficiencies (PID) encompasses genetic disorders that result in recurrent infections and immune dysregulation, often increasing the risk of malignancies. The aim of this study is to determine the quality of life, depression, and anxiety in parents of children with PID. Various validated assessment tools, including the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36), and a demographic form, were employed to gather data from 85 parents of 64 PID patients and 85 parents of 75 healthy children. The findings reveal that parents of PID patients exhibited higher BDI, STAI-S, STAI-T, and fatigue subdomain of SF-36 (p = .013, p = .013, p = .027, p = .000). Both parents had lower energy levels than the normal population, but mothers experienced higher levels of anxiety and depression. PID mothers' had higher scores than fathers of PID patients with healthy children in BDI, STAI-S, and STAI-T (p = .002, p = .010, p = .001). Mothers of PID patients reported lower scores in RLEP, E/F, EWB, P, and GH compared to fathers (p = .009, p = .005, p = .034, p = .001, p = .003). Additionally, the study found that STAI-T influenced all subdimensions of HRQOL. These results highlight the substantial emotional and psychological burden placed on parents caring for children with PID. The study underscores the importance of supporting caregivers to enhance the overall well-being of both parents and children with PID. Such support can potentially alleviate depression and anxiety levels among parents, ultimately improving their quality of life and aiding in the management of children with PID.

Perioperative stress and anxiety in parents of children operated on for congenital heart disease

IntroductionLevels of stress and anxiety suffered by parents of children with congenital heart disease (PCUCS) during their children’s admission for cardiac surgery may be higher than those suffered by other parents who go through the same experience. ObjectiveGeneral objective of this study was to measure the stress and anxiety suffered by PCUCS and parents of children undergoing renal surgery (PCURS) in relation to the intervention of their children. The specific objective of the quantitative study was to compare global stress and anxiety according to sex, time of the perioperative period, and cohort. The general objective of the qualitative section is to explore the experience that PCUCS and PCURS have during their hospital stay and to identify the specific factors that influence the genesis of stress and anxiety. MethodA cohort study was carried out in which PCURS and PCUCS were included. The quantitative part was performed by comparing the scores of three questionnaires that measure stress levels (PSS-14), state anxiety (STAIE) and trait anxiety (STAIR) throughout three perioperative moments. At the same time, a qualitative study was carried out with semi-structured interviews and collection of diaries on which a descriptive phenomenological analysis was carried out, according to Munhall. The analysis of the text was carried out according to Colaizzi. ResultsStress and anxiety levels were significantly higher in PCUCS compared to PCURS. Mothers in the cardiac cohort were those with the highest scores on all scales. In the qualitative study, four themes emerged: “stress and anxiety from the moment of diagnosis”, “surgical intervention as a critical moment”, “harshness of the postoperative period in the Intensive Care Unit” and “joy and gratitude versus dependence and fear for the future”. ConclusionsPCUCS suffer higher levels of stress and anxiety than PCURS, being the mothers of the cardiac cohort those who suffer these disorders with greater intensity. This study can constitute a starting point to develop strategies that cover these parental needs.

Parental anxiety in food allergy: using a cognitive behavioural therapy approach to guide early intervention.

Food allergy is a common allergic disease and often coexists with other allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema. Parents of children and young people with food allergy commonly experience stress and anxiety and this can significantly affect their child's mental health. Interventions that incorporate approaches from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can reduce stress and anxiety in parents of children and young people with food allergy and support healthy adjustment and psychological well-being in their children. However, access to psychological services is limited. This article uses reflection on a case study to illustrate the value of taking a CBT-informed intervention approach and to outline the potential role for nurses in its delivery. Research suggests that talking therapies may improve mental health and parenting behaviours in the parents of children and young people with a range of long-term conditions, so this article is also relevant to their care.

Parents' Fears about Hospital Visits and Trait Anxiety in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Anxiety in parents of children with allergic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic may impact hospital visits. This study explored the effect of the pandemic on parents' fears about hospital visits and their relationship with their personality traits. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted between September 2020 and March 2021, with parents of children aged 0-15 years, who regularly visited 24 outpatient facilities for allergic disease. The survey included patient information, fears about hospital visits, desired information, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Responses were compared between parents with high and low trait anxiety. The response rate was 97.6% (2439/2500). The most common fear was "Fear of getting medical care as usual (85.2%)" and "Fear of COVID-19 infection during hospital visits (87.1%)". High trait anxiety showed a significant association with "Fear of worsening of children's allergies" (adjusted OR: 1.31, 95%CI: 1.04 to 1.65, p = 0.022), and "Fear of worsening of COVID-19 due to allergy" (adjusted OR: 1.52, 95%CI: 1.27 to 1.80, p < 0.01). Healthcare professionals should share updates on COVID-19 and healthcare system to reduce parents' fear. Subsequently, they should communicate the importance of continuing treatment to prevent worsening of COVID-19 and avoid emergency visits, considering parental trait anxiety.

Death anxiety, resilience, and family cohesion in parents of children and adolescents in the end stages of life.

Adolescents in the end stages of life impose a lot of psychological stress on other family members, which may affect their resilience and quality of life. So, the aim of the present study was to investigate death anxiety, family adaptability and cohesion, and resilience in the parents of children and adolescents who were at the end stages of life. This is a cross-sectional study. Two hundred and ten parents were selected by convenience sampling and completed the questionnaires such as demographics survey, the death anxiety scale, Connor-Davidson resilience scale, family adaptability, and cohesion scale. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation), independent t-test, ANOVA, and multiple linear regressions. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. The findings showed that death anxiety in parents of children and adolescents in the end stages of life has a significant inverse correlation with family adaptability and cohesion (p < 0.001, r = -0.92) and resilience (p < 0.001, r = -0.90). The variables of family adaptability and cohesion, resilience, number of children, the children's illness duration, and marital status can predict 61.34% of the death anxiety variance in these parents. The parents of children and adolescents in end stages of life reported high death anxiety and moderate family adaptability and cohesion, but low resilience. Accordingly, pediatric nurses and healthcare policymakers should develop comprehensive support plans for these parents to facilitate their adaptation and increase their family adaptability and cohesion.

Effect of Psychological Counseling Based on Problem Management Plus on Social Anxiety in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a widespread mental growth disorder. Children with ASD are unlikely to restore the ability of living independent, which definitely brings their parents greater psychological pressure and psychological problems such as social anxiety. Therefore, it is pressing to conduct intervention research on social anxiety and other problems in parents of children with ASD. In 2022, Seventy-three parents of children with ASD were enrolled from Beijing Tongkangyuan Children's Rehabilitation Institute. They were randomly divided into the experiment group (N=36) and the control group (N=37). The experiment group was intervened with psychological counseling based on problem management plus in combination with Tai Chi. The control group did not receive any psychological intervention. Social Anxiety Scale for Children, Parenting Stress Index-Short Form and Social Support Rate Scale were used for measurement before and after the intervention. The experiment group had significantly higher decreases than the control group in the total score in social anxiety and the scores in its two dimensions after intervention (P=0.001). The experiment group had significant decreases in the total score in parenting stress and the scores in parenting distress and dysfunctional parent-child interaction (P=0.001), while there was no change in the control group. The experiment group had significant improvement in social support, which was also significantly higher than that of the control group (P=0.001). Psychological counseling based on problem management plus could effectively alleviate social anxiety and parental pressure in parents of children with ASD, improve their social support and play a significant role in enhancing their mental health.

Aspects of Mental Health among Parents of Children with Developmental Disorders

The purpose of this study is firstly to examine the mental health status among parents of children with developmental disorders in relation to certain family and demographic factors and, secondly, to determine the predictor role of parental self-efficacy in relation to mental health of parents of children with developmental disorders. Forty-six people participated in the study, ages 23-49, M = 37.46, SD = 6.51, parents of children with ASD or other developmental disorders, children ages ranges between 3 and 15, M = 6.50, SD = 2.77. The questionnaires used were DASS21R for anxiety and depression, and Parenting Sense of Competence Scale was used for parenting self-efficacy. Results showed that mothers of children with developmental disorders have higher levels of anxiety than their fathers, that age is a positive predictor of depression and anxiety in parents of children with developmental disorders, and that self-efficacy is a negative predictor of mental health disorders.

Effectiveness of Training Programs for Reducing Adverse Psychological Outcomes in Parents of Children with Acquired Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Parental stress following critical illness in their child has the potential to impact functional outcomes and quality of life for the child and whole family. Parent emotional functioning may also be an important clinical target to optimize child outcomes. This study assessed the effectiveness of training programs for parents aimed at reducing adverse psychological outcomes in parents of children with acute brain injury (ABI). We conducted searches of Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library to November 13, 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared parent training programs with usual care, or an active comparator, and assessed psychological outcomes (depression, anxiety, stress) in parents of children with ABI were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data on study characteristics, participants, interventions, outcome measures, and results before and after intervention. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Four RCTs involving 318 parents of children with ABI were eligible for review. Compared with usual care or active comparator, parent training was associated with significant reduction in parent stress (four RCTs; standardized mean difference [SMD], - 0.32 on a numerical rating scale [95%CI, - 0.60, - 0.05]; I-squared = 7.5%, p = 0.356); significant reduction in parent depression (three RCTs; SMD, - 0.43 [95%CI, - 0.72, - 0.14]; I-squared = 0.0%, p = 0.393); and significant reduction in parent anxiety (two RCTs; SMD, - 0.63 [95%CI, - 1.05, - 0.21]; I-squared = 0.0%, p = 0.629). Overall risk of bias was high for randomization process (one RCT), missing outcome data (three RCTs), measurement of the outcome (three RCTs), and selection of reported result (two RCTs). Heterogeneity between studies by country of study origin was not significant. Compared with usual care or an active comparator, parent training was associated with short-term reduction in stress, depression, and anxiety in parents of children with ABI. Future clinical trials of parent interventions are needed as there may be some short-term beneficial effects.

Prevalence of anxiety in parents of Children with Adrenal insufficiency: a case control study

Introduction Adrenal insufficiency is a rare medical condition which can occur in children. Parents, being the primary support and support for the child, are generally involved in the care of their sick child.ObjectivesTo estimate the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and associated factors in parents of children with adrenal insufficiency.Methods This is an analytical cross-sectional case-control study over a period of 4 months in 2019, carried out with parents of children with Adrenal Insufficiency followed at the pediatric outpatient clinic in Taher Sfar Mahdia University Hospital. We used an anonymous questionnaire that included a socio-demographic fact sheet and the Hamilton anxiety scale for exploring anxiety symptoms.ResultsA total of 38 parents of children with Adrenal insufficiency and 38 control parents participated in the study. The current age of the child was between 1 and 16 years old with an average of 9.1 and standard deviation of 4.22 For the assessment of anxiety, 55.3% of the parents had a score greater than 20 attesting to the presence of an anxiety symptomatology. In addition, only 26.3% of control parents presented anxious symptoms. There is a significant difference between the two populations (p = 0.010 OR = 3.459). Anxiety was associated with having a child with SI (OR=3.4), female gender (OR=4.2), unemployment (OR=6.33), and low socioeconomic status.ConclusionsParents have a considerable burden in the care and management of their child with a chronic illness, which takes time and a lot of patience. Detecting anxiety symptoms in this population will help them manage it.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Decreased food allergy-specific anxiety and increased general anxiety in parents of children with food allergies during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to affect the mental health of children and youth worldwide, particularly for those with chronic physical conditions1 and socioeconomic adversity.2 For children and youth with food allergies (FA), the early COVID-19 pandemic led to immediate changes to allergy-related services3; emergency department visits for anaphylaxis also decreased.4 Youth whose parents report negative impacts of COVID-19 have also reported poorer well-being, affected by difficulties accessing “safe” foods and health services.

Transfer anxiety in parents of children transferred from pediatric intensive care units to general wards in South Korea: a hybrid concept analysis.

PurposeThis study aimed to analyze the concept of transfer anxiety in parents of children transferred from pediatric intensive care units to general wards.MethodsThe hybrid model by Schwarz-Barcott and Kim was used to analyze the characteristics of transfer anxiety in parents of children transferred from pediatric intensive care units to general wards.ResultsTransfer anxiety was defined by the following attributes: 1) stress concerning the adaptation process, 2) concern about the child’s condition worsening due to the parent’s caregiving, and 3) involuntary changes in daily life due to the treatment. Transfer anxiety has the following antecedents: 1) uncertainty; 2) a lack of knowledge about the illness, medical devices, and caregiving; and 3) a lack of social support. It resulted in 1) caregiver burden, 2) a decrease in the capacity for coping with caregiving, 3) delays in the child’s physical and psychological recovery, and 4) decreased quality of life.ConclusionIt is necessary to develop an assessment scale that considers the attributes of transfer anxiety in parents of children transferred from pediatric intensive care units to general wards. Furthermore, an effective nursing intervention should be developed to reduce transfer anxiety.

STRESS, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY LEVELS AMONG PARENTS OF “LEARNING FROM HOME” DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract: One of the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic is the adaptation process and changes in the education process. During the Covid-19 crisis, the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture implemented a policy to aid in preventing Covid-19 spread through regulations governing the implementation of "Learning from Home" education. The implementation of this program which has been going on for quite a long time can create additional life burdens that produce a psychological impact on parents such as stress, anxiety, and depression. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of stress, depression, and anxiety in parents of children who are "Learning from Home" as a response of the Covid-19 epidemic. An online survey was conducted from August 2020 until September 2020 among parents who have a minimum of one child with the age of children or adolescents. The Google Form was used to create a structured self-reported e-questionnaire, and the link was shared through WhatsApp. Respondents completed a survey measuring socio-demographic variables and the DASS-42 (Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale) to measure stress, depression, and anxiety, after giving informed consent. Researchers received 225 online responses. Microsoft Excel and SPSS 21 were used to perform a univariate analysis on the data collection. Stress, depression, and anxiety were found to be prevalent among parents of “Learning from Home” children in 43.56%, 13.78%, and 18.22%, respectively. This research showed that during the Covid-19 pandemic, a significant number of parents of "Learning from Home" children encountered stress, anxiety, and depression symptomsKeywords: Stress-depression-anxiety; Learning from home; Parents; Covid-19

Food-allergy-specific anxiety and distress in parents of children with food allergy: A systematic review.

Parenting a child with food allergy (FA) can lead to impaired quality of life and family functioning. Anxiety is a critical component of FA-associated distress and a potential target for therapeutic intervention. This systematic review aimed to clarify the concept of FA-specific anxiety (FAA) and its antecedents, consequences, and correlates and to determine the extent to which existing FA-specific outcome measures capture symptoms of parental distress and FAA. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CENTRAL were searched for qualitative and quantitative studies examining distress or anxiety in parents of children with FA through August 2020. This review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020208316) and conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Ninety-eight studies were included in the final narrative synthesis. Most participants were mothers, and reporting of demographic data was limited. Parents identified anxiety as the most burdensome form of FA-specific emotional distress. Several allergy-related factors as well as medical and psychosocial interventions were associated with reduced parental anxiety and distress. However, affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions of FAA were only partially addressed by existing measures for general anxiety symptoms and FA-specific parental factors. FAA contributes to distress and functional impairment among parents of children with FA. Current FA-specific parent measures fail to adequately capture dimensions of FAA, suggesting that further work is needed to improve the assessment and monitoring of FAA and its impacts. Characterization of this construct represents an initial step in developing standardized methods for assessing and monitoring FAA in clinical populations.

300: Screening for depression and anxiety in parents of children with cystic fibrosis over 6 months

300: Screening for depression and anxiety in parents of children with cystic fibrosis over 6 months

Does Online Counseling Reduce Anxiety in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic?

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has made governments in a number of countries to issue and implement a regulation of social and physical restriction. It leaves a serious impact, one of which is anxiety experienced by parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as the only access to therapy and education for their children has to be done online. AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine the optimization of online counseling on the anxiety in parents of children with ASD during COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The design of this study used pre-test-post-test design without control. The sampling technique used purposive sampling with 46 respondents. The instrument used online counseling design and Generalized Anxiety Disorders-7 which has been tested for validity and reliability. This study used marginal homogeneity test. RESULTS: The result showed that the majority of respondents’ anxiety before and after online counseling had severe and minimal anxiety (16 respondents, 34.8% and 15 respondents, 32.6%, respectively) with p = 0.012. CONCLUSIONS: There was an effect of online counseling on anxiety in parents of children with ASD during COVID-19 pandemic. This can serve as a recommendation in providing online counseling to reduce anxiety in parents of children with ASD during COVID-19 pandemic.

O31 Trajectories of anxiety in children young people and adults with rheumatic diseases in the wake of COVID-19: results from the COVID-19 European patient registry

Background/Aims Younger and older people with rheumatic diseases may experience increased anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the uncertainty regarding their likelihood of contracting the virus, its complications alongside their existing condition and whether their immunosuppressive treatments pose additional risks. This study explored trajectories of anxiety in parents of children and young people (CYP) with rheumatic diseases and adults with rheumatic diseases in the six months following March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods CYP and adults recruited to the international COVID-19 European Patient Registry, a parent-led, online, self-referred prospective cohort recruiting participants globally, were selected if enrolled within 20th March to 17th April 2020. Anxiety scores (0-10, 10=Highest anxiety) were collected weekly for up to 28 weeks and denoted parent anxiety in the CYP cohort and self-reported anxiety in the adult cohort.Group-based trajectory models explored anxiety clusters using censored-normal models in the CYP and adult populations, separately. Linear, quadratic and cubic polynomials were tested within 1 to 10 clusters and optimal models selected based on a combination of model fit (BIC), parsimony and clinical plausibility. Demographic (country, age, gender) and clinical (diagnosis, disease control, respiratory comorbidity, immunosuppressive therapy) information and COVID-19 mitigation behaviours (isolation, distancing, none) were collected at initial enrolment and compared between clusters using Chi-squared, Fisher’s exact and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results Among 498 CYP and 2640 adults, most were female (65%, 89%) and from the UK (50%, 84%), respectively. The most common diagnoses were polyarticular JIA (37%) and oligoarticular JIA (29%) among CYP and RA among the adults (63%). Respiratory comorbidities were uncommon in the CYP (10%) and adult (17%) cohorts, and most were taking any immunosuppressive therapies (85%, 87%), respectively. As of March 2020, 88% and 79% were self-isolating, respectively. In both the parents of CYP and adult cohorts, four trajectory clusters were identified with similar patterns: Persistent extremely high anxiety (32%, 17%), persistent high anxiety (43%, 41%), high anxiety that marginally improved (25%, 32%) and moderate anxiety that improved (11%, 10%). Among CYP, few characteristics distinguished the clusters. However, in the adult cohort, clusters with greater and more persistent anxiety were associated with higher levels of respiratory comorbidities, higher use of immunosuppressive therapies, higher initial levels of self-isolation and slightly older age than those with lower or improving anxiety over time. Conclusion This study reports four trajectories of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic that are consistent across parents of CYP with rheumatic diseases and among adults with these conditions. Despite relatively lower risks for CYP, parental anxiety regarding COVID-19 was high and not associated with characteristics of their child or of their child's disease. Among adults with rheumatic diseases, greater anxiety was associated with risk factors potentially associated with COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Disclosure S.J.W. Shoop-Worrall: None. S.M.M. Verstappen: None. W. Costello: None. S.P. Angevare: None. Y. Uziel: None. C. Wouters: None. N. Wulffraat: Honoraria; Sobi. Grants/research support; Abbvie. R. Beesley: None.

Depression and anxiety in parents of children and adolescents with intellectual disability.

Background:Parents of Intellectual Disabled (ID) children and adolescents are subjected to higher caregiver burden which is associated with Depression and Anxiety. There are very few studies which have assessed these morbidities in an industrial population.Aims and Objectives:The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of Depression and Anxiety and its psychosocial correlates among these parents.Materials and Methods:The study was a Cross-sectional observational study, conducted at the Psychiatry unit of a tertiary care multi-specialty hospital in Maharashtra. It examined 99 parents (99 fathers and 98 mothers) of 99 children and adolescents (up to 18 yrs of age) with Intellectual Disability for Depression and Anxiety. Assessment was done using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).Results:94% of mothers and 66.7% of fathers were found to have either anxiety or depressive symptoms, or both. Among mothers, 91.8% had scores suggestive of anxiety, 66.3% for depression and 64.3% for both anxiety and depression. Among fathers 57.6% had had scores suggestive of anxiety, 35.4% for depression and 26.3% for both. The association was significant between HADS Depression sub-scores of parents and child's ID severity, diagnosis of Down's syndrome and lack of family support (P-value <0.05). In addition significant association was also found between father's anxiety and depression scores and age of father and medical co-morbidities in the child (P-value <0.05).Conclusion:Significantly high proportions of parents were found to have anxiety /depressive symptoms or both. These symptoms appear to be associated with severity of ID and lack of family support and were significantly more in the primary care giver (mothers).

Awakening cortisol indicators, advanced glycation end products, stress perception, depression and anxiety in parents of children with chronic conditions

This cross-sectional study aims to investigate awakening cortisol indicators and to explore their association with stress perception, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), depression and anxiety in parents of children with chronic conditions. We included five parental groups according to children’s diagnoses: Down syndrome (DS; N = 31), autistic spectrum disorder (ASD; N = 29), cerebral palsy (CP; N = 15), diabetes mellitus type 1 (DMT1; N = 38), and a control group of heathy children (CG; N = 33). Salivary cortisol and AGEs were measured, alongside with psychological indices. Partial correlation and multiple linear regression were used in the analysis to identify parental characteristics associated with total awakening cortisol output (area under the curve with respect to the ground, AUCG), cortisol awakening response (area under the curve with respect to the increase, AUCI), perceived stress, and health outcomes (AGEs, depression and anxiety). There was no difference between groups for AUCG, while DS and DMT1 groups showed reduced AUCI (β = –0.241, p = 0.040; β = −0.249, p = 0.028, respectively), and ASD parents had a borderline insignificant result (β = −0.205, p = 0.081). Non-smokers had higher AUCG, and parental sedentary activity and sleep duration were associated with AUCI. AUCG was positively associated with AGEs (β = 0.218, p = 0.013), anxiety (β = 0.207, p = 0.004), and with depression (β = 0.156, p = 0.034), unlike the AUCI. DS parental group showed lower general stress perception (β = −0.260, p = 0.005). Parents of children with DMT1 had more pronounced depressive symptoms (β = 0.183, p = 0.039), while CP parents had a borderline insignificant result for depression (β = 0.143, p = 0.058). Based on these results, parents of children with chronic conditions have altered awaking cortisol response and are under increased risk of adverse health consequences.

Preoperative Nursing Care to Reduce Anxiety of Parent from Cancer Patient in Paediatric Surgical Ward

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;Cancer or malignant tumors are one of the most experienced diseases in the world. The therapy to treat cancer requires a comprehensive examination, one of which is by doing a biopsy. Biopsy is a procedure that can cause anxiety in parents of children with cancer. One of the way to reduce anxiety in parents of children with cancer is to do preoperative education. The purpose of study was to determine the effects of preoperative education on anxiety in parents of cancer patients.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;This was a case study of preoperative care to reduce anxiety of parents whose child has cancer and will undergo a surgery. The intervention included anticipatory guidance and preoperative education. Anticipatory guidance was given by actively listening to parents and child’s concerns and assist them to learn deep breathing relaxation techniques, and distraction. The preoperative education was given using a flipchart containing information pertaining to the location and time of surgery, preoperative preparation, surgical procedures, and postoperative care.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Parents’ anxiety declined from the score of 7 to 3. She also expressed the feeling of relieved. She looked calmer, focused and made eye contact. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Patient education along with anticipatory guidance needs to be provided by nurses during preoperative stage to reduce both parents and patients’ anxiety.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="AbstractContent"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Key&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;words:&lt;/strong&gt; cancer, anxiety, parents, preoperative education&lt;/p&gt;

Mealtime Anxiety and Coping Behaviour in Parents and Children During Weaning in PKU: A Case-Control Study.

Solid food introduction may create anxiety for parents of children with phenylketonuria (PKU) due to the burden associated with protein substitute (PS) administration and natural protein restriction. In a longitudinal, prospective study, 20 mothers of children with PKU and 20 non-PKU control mothers completed 4 questionnaires (mealtime emotions, feed-time, Beck’s anxiety inventory and the coping health inventory for parents), examining parent/child mealtime emotions, anxiety, stress and coping strategies at child ages: weaning start, 8 months (m), 12 m, 15 m, 18 m and 24 m. Overall, mothers of children with PKU cope well with solid food introduction when applying a low-phenylalanine diet, with comparable low levels of stress and anxiety reported in both PKU and non-PKU groups. However, mothers of children with PKU reported peak scores in anxiety for emotive/cognitive symptoms at a child age of 15 m, and higher use of coping strategies at 15 m and 24 m (p < 0.05) of age. Generally, there was a trend that maternal anxiety regarding child rejection of PS increased with time, peaking between 12–24 m. In PKU, a child age of 12–18 m is identified as a key period when mothers feel most anxious/stressed with feeding, coinciding with raised blood phenylalanine levels probably associated with teething, illness and developing independence. Health professionals should be conscious of this vulnerable period and be prepared to offer more directional support as required.