Psychosocial predictors of distress in parents of children undergoing stem cell or bone marrow transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
To examine psychosocial predictors of distress (mood disturbance, perceived stress, caregiver burden) in parents of children undergoing stem cell or bone marrow transplantation (BMT).


METHODS
Measures of prior illness experiences, premorbid child behavior problems, family environment, social support, and parental coping behavior were obtained from the resident parents of 151 children prior to the children's admission for BMT. Parents subsequently completed assessments of their mood disturbance, perceived stress, and caregiving burden on a weekly basis through week +6 post-BMT, and then monthly through month +6 post-BMT.


RESULTS
Significant changes were observed in parental distress across the course of BMT. After correcting for demographic and medical factors, several significant predictors of parental distress trajectories were identified, including prior parent and patient illness-related distress, premorbid child internalizing behavior problems, the family relationship dimensions of the family environment, and parental avoidant coping behaviors. Multivariable models were developed using a hierarchical modeling approach. The best-fit model accounted for approximately 50% of the variance in parental global distress.


CONCLUSIONS
Subgroups of parents at higher risk for increased distress during the acute phase of transplant have been identified. These findings can help target parents who may be in greater need of intervention aimed at reducing transplant-related distress.
Phipps
Sean
S
Division of Behavioral Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105-2794, USA. sean.phipps@stjude.org
Dunavant
Maggi
M
Lensing
Shelly
S
Rai
Shesh N
SN
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011584:Psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires