Psychosocial profile of pediatric brain tumor survivors with neurocognitive complaints.
OBJECTIVE
With more children surviving a brain tumor, neurocognitive consequences of the tumor and its treatment become apparent, which could affect psychosocial functioning. The present study therefore aimed to assess psychosocial functioning of pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTS) in detail.


METHODS
Psychosocial functioning of PBTS (8-18 years) with parent-reported neurocognitive complaints was compared to normative data on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), self-esteem, psychosocial adjustment, and executive functioning (one-sample t tests) and to a sibling control group on fatigue (independent-samples t test). Self-, parent-, and teacher-report questionnaires were included, where appropriate, providing complementary information.


RESULTS
Eighty-two PBTS (mean age 13.4 years, SD 3.2, 49 % males) and 43 healthy siblings (mean age 14.3, SD 2.4, 40 % males) were included. As compared to the normative population, PBTS themselves reported decreased physical, psychological, and generic HRQOL (d = 0.39-0.62, p < 0.008). Compared to siblings, increased fatigue-related concentration problems (d = 0.57, p < 0.01) were reported, although self-reported self-esteem and psychosocial adjustment seemed not to be affected. Parents of PBTS reported more psychosocial (d = 0.81, p < 0.000) and executive problems (d = 0.35-0.43, p < 0.016) in their child than parents of children in the normative population. Teachers indicated more psychosocial adjustment problems for female PBTS aged 8-11 years than for the female normative population (d = 0.69, p < 0.025), but they reported no more executive problems.


CONCLUSIONS
PBTS with parent-reported neurocognitive complaints showed increased psychosocial problems, as reported by PBTS, parents, and teachers.


CONCLUSIONS
Systematic screening of psychosocial functioning is necessary so that tailored support from professionals can be offered to PBTS with neurocognitive complaints.
Pediatric Psychosocial Department, Emma Children's Hospital AMC, Meibergdreef 9, Room A3-241, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Marieke Anna
MA
de Ruiter
Department of Pediatric Oncology, Emma Children's Hospital AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Antoinette Yvonne Narda
AYN
Schouten-van Meeteren
Department of Pediatrics, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Dannis Gilbert
DG
van Vuurden
Pediatric Psychosocial Department, Emma Children's Hospital AMC, Meibergdreef 9, Room A3-241, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Heleen
H
Maurice-Stam
Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Corrie
C
Gidding
Department of Medical Psychology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital UMC, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Laura Rachel
LR
Beek
Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Bernd
B
Granzen
Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Jaap
J
Oosterlaan
Pediatric Psychosocial Department, Emma Children's Hospital AMC, Meibergdreef 9, Room A3-241, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.a.grootenhuis@amc.uva.nl.
Martha Alexandra
MA
Grootenhuis
D000293:Adolescent; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D056344:Executive Function; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D009426:Netherlands; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*
Brain tumor; Late effects of cancer treatment; Pediatric oncology; Psychosocial; Quality of life