title: Parents of children diagnosed with cancer: work situation and sick leave, a five-year post end-of-treatment or a child's death follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer in a child is associated with a significant impact on parental employment. We assessed the proportions of parents of survivors and bereaved parents working and reporting sick leave five years after end of successful treatment (ST)/child's death (T7) compared with one year after end of ST/child's death (T6) and the association between partial post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and work situation and sick leave at T7. Participants and procedure: The sample included 152 parents of survivors (77 mothers, 75 fathers) and 42 bereaved parents (22 mothers, 20 fathers) of children diagnosed with cancer in Sweden.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportions of parents working or reporting sick leave did not differ among mothers and fathers of survivors (92% vs. 96% working, 20% vs. 18% on sick leave) or among bereaved mothers and fathers (91% vs. 90% working, 14% vs. 20% on sick leave) at T7. There was no change from T6 to T7 in the proportion of fathers working (fathers of survivors 91% vs. 96%, bereaved fathers 95% vs. 90%). Although more mothers of survivors (92% vs. 82%) and bereaved mothers (91% vs. 77%) worked at T7 than at T6, this increase was not significant. Fewer bereaved mothers reported sick leave at T7 than at T6 (14% vs. 59%, p < 0.05). Although more fathers reported sick leave at T7 than at T6 (fathers of survivors 18% vs. 8%, bereaved fathers 20% vs. 15%), this was not significant. Partial PTSD was not associated with parents' work situation or sick leave at T7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest little adverse effect on work situation and sick leave among parents of survivors and bereaved parents five years after end of ST/child's death from cancer. However, the pattern of change observed differed between parents, which could potentially indicate possible delayed consequences for fathers not captured in the present paper.
authors.affiliation: a Clinical Psychology in Healthcare, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wikman
authors.affiliation: a Clinical Psychology in Healthcare, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hovén
authors.affiliation: a Clinical Psychology in Healthcare, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cernvall
authors.affiliation: b Pediatric Oncology, Department of Women's and Children's Health , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden.
authors.forename: Gustaf
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ljungman
authors.affiliation: a Clinical Psychology in Healthcare, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ljungman
authors.affiliation: a Clinical Psychology in Healthcare, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: von Essen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001601:Bereavement; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors; D013548:Sweden; D016896:Treatment Outcome