title: Parents of children surviving a brain tumor: burnout and the perceived disease-related influence on everyday life.
abstract: Parents of children diagnosed with a brain tumor often report distress, even after successfully completed cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to examine predictors of burnout (ie stress-induced exhaustion) in parents of children who have had a brain tumor. Twenty-four mothers and 20 fathers completed self-report questionnaires on 2 occasions at an interval of 7 months. Controlling for generic stress, parents' perception of the influence of the disease on everyday life-predicted burnout symptoms. Moreover, parents' appraisal of a disease-related influence on everyday life showed stability, implying that parental stress may be chronic. The findings encourage furthermore investigation of chronic stress among parents of children diagnosed with cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman and Child Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. annika.lindahl.norberg@ki.se
authors.forename: Annika Lindahl
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Norberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*