Impact of a parent-based interdisciplinary intervention on adjustment in children newly diagnosed with cancer

2014

Mark J. Fisher
[email protected]
405-271-2428

OBJECTIVE: To determine if maternal distress predicts child adjustment outcomes or if child adjustment outcomes predict maternal distress among children newly diagnosed with cancer, and if a parent-focused intervention has downstream effects on child adjustment. METHODS: Mothers (n = 52) were randomly assigned to a clinic-based, interdisciplinary intervention for parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer. Measures of maternal distress and child adjustment were collected at baseline, posttreatment, and follow-up. RESULTS:A lagged relationship was identified between maternal distress and child internalizing symptoms, but not externalizing symptoms. The parent intervention reduced child internalizing and externalizing symptoms at follow-up. Only the child internalizing symptoms effect was mediated by reduced maternal distress. The child externalizing symptoms effect was mediated by unobserved parent factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides support for illness adjustment and copi

adjustment, cancer, oncology, children, parent based interdisciplinary intervention

Peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals Published/In Press

Consumers/Families, Professionals, Policymakers, Students

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