title: Acute stress in parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and subclinical symptoms of acute stress (SAS) may be a useful framework for understanding the psychological reactions of mothers and fathers of children newly diagnosed with a pediatric malignancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mothers (N = 129) and fathers (N = 72) of 138 children newly diagnosed with cancer completed questionnaires assessing acute distress, anxiety, and family functioning. Demographic data were also gathered. Inclusion criteria were: a confirmed diagnosis of a pediatric malignancy in a child under the age of 18 years without prior chronic or life threatening illness and fluency in English or Spanish.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions were used to examine predictors of SAS. Fifty-one percent (N = 66) of mothers and 40% (N = 29) of fathers met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ASD. The majority of the sample reported experiencing at least one SAS. General anxiety, but not family functioning, was a strong predictor of SAS in both mothers and fathers even after controlling for demographic characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immediately following their child's diagnosis of cancer, most mothers and fathers experience SAS, with a subsample meeting criteria for ASD. More anxious parents are at heightened risk of more intense reactions. The findings support the need for evidence-based psychosocial support at diagnosis and throughout treatment for families who are at risk for acute distress reactions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Patiño-Fernández
authors.forename: Ahna L H
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alderfer
authors.forename: Wei-Ting
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.forename: Anne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kazak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D040701:Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology