Children with Hepatitis C: The Impact of Disease and Treatment on Patients, Caregivers and Families.
OBJECTIVE
Previous research on children with HCV has examined patient psychosocial outcomes but little is known about the impact of HCV and its prolonged treatment, which includes weekly injections and oral medications for 6-12 months, on caregivers and families. The present study aimed to address this gap.


METHODS
Using a case series design (N=10), baseline distress levels of individuals and families as well as changes during HCV treatment were examined. A brief patient, caregiver, and family assessment packet was given before and immediately after treatment, but before the final outcome of treatment was known. During the study period, 10 families at our site began treatment for HCV. Each family was given a battery assessing patient quality of life, (the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory; PedsQL), caregiver distress related to their child's illness (Impact of Events Scale; IES), and overall family functioning (Family Assessment Device; FAD).


RESULTS
At baseline, patients displayed poorer quality of life than population norms, caregiver distress was elevated and family functioning was also in the "stressed" range. After treatment, all parameters worsened.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, in this case series of patients in treatment for HCV, significant psychosocial distress was noted for individuals and families and this was exacerbated over the course of treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Caregivers may benefit from additional support given the implications of HCV and grueling nature of its treatment. Broadly, the impact of continuous intensive treatments on families perhaps should be monitored.
Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY; Department of Pediatrics and Kravis Children's Hospital & Recanati/Miller Transplant Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Electronic address: annunziato@fordham.edu.
Rachel A
RA
Annunziato
Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford, CT.
Samantha G
SG
Lee
Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY.
Elizabeth
E
Galici
Department of Pediatrics and Kravis Children's Hospital & Recanati/Miller Transplant Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
Ronen
R
Arnon
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011788:Quality of Life
Caregivers; Distress; Families; Family functioning; HCV; Quality of life