title: Measuring perceived benefit and disease-related burden in young cancer survivors: validation of the Benefit and Burden Scale for Children (BBSC) in The Netherlands.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Perceiving favourable changes from one's illness may go hand in hand with experiencing harmful psychosocial effects. Each of these constructs should be considered when examining children's levels of psychological adjustment following stressful life events. A paediatric instrument that accounts for both positive and negative impact of stressful events has not been investigated in The Netherlands before. The aim of the study was to investigate psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Benefit and Burden Scale for Children (BBSC), a 20-item questionnaire that intends to measure potential benefit and burden of illness in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dutch paediatric survivors of childhood cancer aged 8-18 (N = 77) completed the BBSC and other psychological questionnaires: Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (health-related quality of life), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (anxiety), Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (posttraumatic stress) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (behavioural functioning). Reliability and validity were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha, benefit 0.84, burden 0.72), test-retest reliability (benefit r = 0.74, burden r = 0.78) and homogeneity (mean inter-item correlation, benefit r = 0.34, burden r = 0.22) were satisfactory. Burden was associated with HRQoL (-), anxiety (+), posttraumatic stress symptoms (+) and behavioural problems. Benefit did not correlate with the psychological outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Dutch version of the BBSC shows promising psychometric properties. Perceived benefit and disease-related burden are distinct constructs; both should be considered when examining children's psychological adjustment to potentially traumatic experiences. The BBSC may be useful as monitoring and screening instrument.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Psychosocial Department, Emma Children's Hospital Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. h.stam@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Heleen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maurice-Stam
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Broek
authors.forename: Annemarie M M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kolk
authors.forename: Jantien M J
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vrijmoet-Wiersma
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meijer-van den Bergh
authors.forename: Elisabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Phipps
authors.forename: Martha A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Grootenhuis
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D009426:Netherlands; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012938:Social Perception; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*