A long-term follow-up study of psychosocial functioning after autologous bone marrow transplantation in childhood.
Psychosocial functioning was assessed in 26 subjects treated with autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) for leukaemia or lymphoma before the age of 18 years. The median time from ABMT was 7 years (range 2-10 years), and the median age of the subjects at the evaluation was 16 years (range 7-24 years). Patients, parents and teachers were used as informants. Parents of subjects in the ABMT group reported more behaviour problems than in a normative sample of school children, in particular of the internalising problem type, a finding also supported by the teachers' report on the children's behaviour at school. The magnitude of the behaviour problems correlated positively to CNS treatment intensity. The parents rated their children's school competence as lower than did parents of a normative sample. All school children (n = 18) were in regular education, although five pupils were receiving individual tutorial help. Overall, the patients reported a positive view on their own functioning, in contrast to the higher levels of psychosocial problems reported by their parents and teachers. The results thus show, that the psychosocial functioning seen in children treated because of cancer is dependent on the type of informant used.
Arvidson
J
J
Department of Paediatrics, University of Uppsala, Sweden. johan.arvidson@pediatrik.uu.se
Larsson
B
B
Lönnerholm
G
G
D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000628:therapy*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012951:Socialization; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous