Mental health among young adult survivors of childhood cancer and their siblings including posttraumatic growth.
BACKGROUND
Few studies have addressed the mental health status of young adult childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) and their siblings (SIBs). This paper focuses on depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among Japanese CCSs and their SIBs.


METHODS
Adolescent and young adult CCSs (n=185), in remission for more than 1 year, their SIBs (n=72), and general controls (CONTs) (n=1,000) completed anonymous self-report questionnaires for depression, anxiety, PTSS, and PTG. The physicians in charge also completed an anonymous disease/treatment data sheet.


RESULTS
CCSs were approximately 8 years old at diagnosis and approximately 23 years old at the time of the survey. Their diagnoses included leukemia (57%), lymphoma (12%), and solid tumors (30%). Thirty-eight percent underwent surgery and 25% received stem cell transplantation. No significant differences were found between CCSs and CONTs in terms of depression and anxiety. CCSs had significantly more PTSS and had remarkably greater PTG compared to CONTs. Although no significant differences were found between SIBs and CONTs regarding depression, anxiety, or PTSS, female SIBs exhibited greater PTG compared to female CONTs.


CONCLUSIONS
To empower CCSs, they should be evaluated periodically regarding PTSS and PTG and should be provided appropriate care and feedback. The fact that the mental health status of young adult SIBs was similar to CONTs at 15 years after their siblings' diagnoses may help reassure parents who worry about mental health among the siblings of an affected child during and after his/her treatment.
Kamibeppu
Kiyoko
K
Department of Family Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan. kkamibeppu-tky@umin.ac.jp
Sato
Iori
I
Honda
Misato
M
Ozono
Shuichi
S
Sakamoto
Naoko
N
Iwai
Tsuyako
T
Okamura
Jun
J
Asami
Keiko
K
Maeda
Naoko
N
Inada
Hiroko
H
Kakee
Naoko
N
Horibe
Keizo
K
Ishida
Yasushi
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
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