Bercovitz, Iris N.. The relationship between caregiver stress and pediatric cancer patient anxiety and pain: testing family beliefs as a moderator. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-2njz-9g08
DescriptionPediatric cancer patients and their families undergo significant stress throughout diagnosis and treatment. The functioning of the family unit has substantial impact on psychological wellbeing and cancer-related quality of life outcomes for children with pediatric cancer (Neugebauer & Mastergeorge, 2021; Van Schoors et al., 2017; Gurtovenko et al., 2021). Increased caregiver stress has been found to lead to declines in psychosocial functioning for both caregiver and child (Sulkers et al., 2014) and the caregiver’s emotional state has been found to strongly influence child outcomes (Platt et al., 2016; Jobe-Sheilds et al., 2009). Additionally, prior research has found that caregivers’ beliefs about their family’s ability to cope with a cancer diagnosis is associated with caregiver stress levels (Quine & Pahl, 1991; Fotiadou et al., 2008). Previously conducted interventions for the cancer population have been successful in reducing negative psychosocial outcomes for families when specific stressors were targeted (Li et al., 2011; Lapid et al., 2015). This study evaluated the relationship between caregiver stress and child report as well as caregiver- proxy report of treatment/procedural anxiety and pain interference with family beliefs as the moderator of this relationship. The aim of this study was to contribute to the development of targeted interventions which could lead to improved cancer-related quality of life for both the caregiver and child during cancer treatment. The participants were caregiver-child dyads with 101 caregiver participants (of children ages 5-17) and 59 child participants undergoing cancer treatment (ages 8-17). Participants completed self-report questionnaires, specifically the Psychosocial Assessment Tool Oncology (PAT2.0), the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory—Cancer Module and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Interference Scale. Results showed that family beliefs are not a moderator of the relationship between caregiver stress and child treatment/procedural anxiety and pain interference. However, significant relationships were found between caregiver stress and family beliefs. Caregiver-proxy report of child pain interference was significantly associated with caregiver stress level, family beliefs, child pain interference as well as caregiver-proxy and child reports of treatment/procedural anxiety. Potential clinical implications related to the findings are discussed as well. Future research directions are also suggested.