Long-term coping in childhood cancer survivors: influence of illness, treatment and demographic background factors.
In 30 survivors of childhood cancer, long-term psychological coping with experience of disease and treatment was studied in relation to factors associated with illness, treatment and demographic background. Coping was assessed in a prior study, in which three groups of varying levels of coping where delineated (good, 40%; intermediate, 33%; poor, 27%, coping). The present study showed that poor individual coping was related to diagnosis, a shorter time of continuous complete remission, more severe illness and treatment impairments, and lower scores on a test of intellectual abilities. In addition, a longer time of treatment tended to be followed by poorer coping. However, no association was found for gender, parents' occupational level, age at illness onset, neuro-cranial irradiation, irradiation dose (total) or age at investigation. A tentative path-analysis was executed, displaying a model for the relationships between medical and demographic background variables, and for their influence on coping. It was concluded that a complex of factors--associated particularly with severity of disease and treatment--appears to be related to, and affects, coping with the illness experience. Patients' long-term coping with their illness trauma is most likely determined by multiple factors. Intellectual capabilities are related to coping.
Boman
K
K
Department of Woman and Child Health, Karolinska Institute, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Stockholm. krister.boman@kbh.ki.se
Bodegård
G
G
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D016371:Cranial Irradiation / Q000009:adverse effects; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013997:Time Factors