title: Depression and health-related quality of life after discharge and associated factors in childhood cancer patients in Japan.
abstract: We identified the prevalence of depression and quality of life (QOL) of Japanese children with childhood cancer after discharge using the Birleson Depression Self-rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Subjects were 118 caregivers who raised children ages 2-18 with childhood cancer; subjects resided in suburban districts of Japan and completed instruments after their children were discharged. Multiple regression analysis of data collected from 105 respondents revealed that lower PedsQL scores correlated with more problems in life at school and at home, an increased frequency of hospital visits, less cooperation within the family, and higher DSRS-C scores. To ensure the QOL of children with childhood cancer, outpatient nurses need to encourage children to psychosocially adapt after discharge, periodically screen children during outpatient treatment using instruments such as the DSRS-C, and conduct preventive interventions for children who meet screening criteria and their families before they suffer from adaptation disorders and offer multilateral psychosocial assistance in cooperation with a multidisciplinary care team.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health Care and Nursing, Institute of Nursing Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan. riewaki@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wakimizu
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hiraga
authors.forename: Kayuri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furuya
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuchida
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Terumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires