title: Children and adolescents coping with cancer: self- and parent reports of coping and anxiety/depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The diagnosis and treatment of cancer present children and adolescents with significant stress. However, research on the ways that children and adolescents cope with cancer-related stress has not yielded clear findings on the efficacy of different coping strategies, and has been limited by reliance primarily on self-reports of both coping and distress. To address this gap, the current study used a control-based model of coping to examine self- and parent reports of child/adolescent coping and symptoms of anxiety and depression in a sample of children with cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children and adolescents (5 to 17 years old) and their parents were recruited near the time of a child's diagnosis or relapse of cancer (M = 1.30 months postdiagnosis). Child self-reports (n = 153), mother reports (n = 297), and father reports (n = 161) of children's coping and symptoms of anxiety/depression were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bivariate correlations revealed significant associations for secondary control coping (efforts to adapt to source of stress; e.g., acceptance, cognitive reappraisal) and disengagement coping (e.g., avoidance, denial) with anxiety/depression within and across informants. Linear multiple regression analyses indicated that secondary control coping accounted for unique variance in symptoms of anxiety/depression both within and across informants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Secondary control coping appears important for children and adolescents during early phases of treatment for cancer, and it may serve as an important target for future interventions to enhance adjustment in these children.
authors: Department of Psychology & Human Development, Vanderbilt University.
authors: Bruce E
authors: BE
authors: Compas
authors: Department of Psychology & Human Development, Vanderbilt University.
authors: Leandra
authors: L
authors: Desjardins
authors: Department of Pediatrics, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
authors: Kathryn
authors: K
authors: Vannatta
authors: Department of Pediatrics, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
authors: Tammi
authors: T
authors: Young-Saleme
authors: Department of Psychology & Human Development, Vanderbilt University.
authors: Erin M
authors: EM
authors: Rodriguez
authors: Department of Psychology & Human Development, Vanderbilt University.
authors: Madeleine
authors: M
authors: Dunn
authors: Department of Psychology & Human Development, Vanderbilt University.
authors: Heather
authors: H
authors: Bemis
authors: Department of Pediatrics, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Snyder
authors: Department of Pediatrics, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
authors: Cynthia A
authors: CA
authors: Gerhardt
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents; D057566:Self Report; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*