Child and parental adaptation to pediatric stem cell transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
Allogeneic pediatric stem cell transplantation (SCT) is a very intensive treatment with a high mortality and morbidity. The objectives of this study were to assess the (1) self- and proxy-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to a norm group, (2) levels of parenting stress compared to a norm group, (3) differences in HRQoL and parenting stress pre- and post-SCT, and (4) effect of child age and parenting stress on self- and proxy-reported HRQoL pre- and post-SCT.


METHODS
Pre- and on average 10 months post-SCT, 21 children and adolescents and their parent(s) completed questionnaires on HRQoL and the mothers completed a measure of parenting stress.


RESULTS
Post-SCT, home functioning, physical functioning, and total HRQoL scores were lower than the norm group. We found stable HRQoL scores over time with the exception of the domain home functioning, which was rated lower post-SCT than pre-SCT. Parents reported lower HRQoL scores than the children pre- and post-SCT and younger children experienced better HRQoL than older children. Parenting stress was higher post-SCT than pre-SCT and high levels of parenting stress were predictive of poor parental ratings of child HRQoL post-SCT.


CONCLUSIONS
Ongoing psychosocial assessment post-SCT is necessary to target children with a lowered HRQoL and parents who experience elevated parenting stress who may be in greater need of more supportive care.
Vrijmoet-Wiersma
C M Jantien
CM
Pediatric Department, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. c.m.j.vrijmoet-wiersma@lumc.nl
Kolk
Annemarie M
AM
Grootenhuis
Martha A
MA
Spek
Emmelien M
EM
van Klink
Jeanine M M
JM
Egeler
R Maarten
RM
Bredius
Robbert G M
RG
Koopman
Hendrik M
HM
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous