A systematic review of randomized controlled interventions for parents' distress in pediatric leukemia

Cognitive-behavioral stress management relieves anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder in parents of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia patients: a randomized, controlled study

OBJECTIVES

Cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) is an effective psychological intervention to relieve psychological and symptomatic distress. This study aimed to investigate the effect of CBSM in anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in parents of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients.

METHODS

Totally, 56 pediatric AML patients and 100 parents were randomized into the CBSM group (28 patients and 49 parents) and the normal control (NC) group (28 patients and 51 parents) to receive corresponding interventions for 10 weeks. The questionnaire scores were assessed at month M0, M1, M3, and M6.

RESULTS

In parents of pediatric AML patients, self-rating anxiety scale score at M1 (p = 0.034), M3 (p = 0.010), and M6 (p = 0.003), as well as anxiety at M3 (p = 0.036) and M6 (p = 0.012) were decreased in the CBSM group versus the NC group. Self-rating depression scale score at M3 (p = 0.022) and M6 (p = 0.002), as well as depression at M6 (p = 0.019) were declined in the CBSM group versus the NC group. Symptom checklist-90 (a psychotic status questionnaire) score at M3 (p = 0.031) and M6 (p = 0.019) were declined in the CBSM group versus the NC group. Regarding PTSD, the impact of the events scale-revised score at M3 (p = 0.044) and M6 (p = 0.010) were decreased in the CBSM group versus the NC group. By subgroup analyses CBSM (versus NC) improved all outcomes in parents with anxiety at M0 and depression at M0 (all p < 0.050), but could not affect the outcomes in parents without anxiety or depression at M0 (all p > 0.050).

CONCLUSION

CBSM reduces anxiety, depression, and PTSD in parents of pediatric AML patients.

Standards of Psychosocial Care for Parents of Children With Cancer

Parents and caregivers of children with cancer are both resilient and deeply affected by the child's cancer. A systematic review of published research since 1995 identified 138 studies of moderate quality indicating that parent distress increases around diagnosis, then returns to normal levels. Post-traumatic symptoms are common. Distress may be impairing for vulnerable parents and may impact a child's coping and adjustment. Moderate quality evidence and expert consensus informed a strong recommendation for parents and caregivers to receive early and ongoing assessment of their mental health needs with access to appropriate interventions facilitated to optimize parent, child, and family well being.

Adjustment in parents of children undergoing stem cell transplantation

Pediatric stem cell transplantation (SCT) is a demanding procedure for children and parents. Interventions to promote positive adjustment of parents in this setting are needed. A total of 171 patient-parent dyads from 4 sites received 1 of 3 interventions to reduce SCT-related distress: a child intervention with massage and humor therapy, an identical child intervention plus a parent intervention with massage and relaxation/imagery, or standard care. Parents completed weekly self-report measures of distress and positive affect during the acute phase of treatment (weeks -1 through +6); and measures of depression, posttraumatic stress (PTSD), and benefit finding at baseline and week +24. No significant differences across treatment arms were observed on repeated measures of parental distress. There was a marginally significant effect of the child intervention on parental positive affect. Over time, parental distress decreased significantly and positive affect increased significantly in all groups. Similarly, there were no significant intervention effects on the global adjustment outcomes of depression, PTSD, and benefit finding. However, reports of depression and PTSD decreased significantly and reports of benefit finding increased significantly from baseline to week +24 for all groups. Across all study arms, parent adjustment improved over time, suggesting that parents demonstrate a transient period of moderately elevated distress at the time of their child's admission for transplantation, followed by rapid improved to normative levels of adjustment. Similar to results previously reported for their children, these parents appear resilient to the challenges of transplantation.