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Cancers
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Parenting and Cancer
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Parenting and Cancer

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Research of Cancer".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2023) | Viewed by 9644

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Antonello Pinto

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Guest Editor
Hematology-Oncology & Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, National Cancer Institute, Fondazione 'G. Pascale', IRCCS, Naples, Italy
Interests: large B-cell lymphoma; lymphoma; Immunotherapy; haematological malignancies;
Dr. Marco Luigi Bellani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medicine and Surgery, Insubria University Medical School, Ospedale di Circolo, Varese, Italy
Interests: esophagus cancer; breast cancer; surgery; cancer screening
Dr. Gabriella De Benedetta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hematology-Oncology & Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, National Cancer Institute, Fondazione 'G. Pascale', IRCCS, Naples, Italy
Interests: parenting in cancer patients; psychology; cancer management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Italian Society of Psycho-Oncology (SIPO), we would like to propose a Special issue entitled ‘Parenting and Cancer’ to be published in Cancers. We feel this topic of great potential interest to all those involved in clinical care of cancer patients. Cancer affects an ever increasing number of adults and young adults with parent-dependent children throughout the world and parenting concerns may seriously add to disease-related distress, worsen quality of life and hinder psychosocial adjustments to disease and treatments. Similarly, recognizing and handling the impact of parental cancer on psychosocial ‘functioning’ of children and adolescents represent in turn critical issues as to overall management of neoplastic diseases. To provide a comprehensive coverage of issues related to parenting and cancer, we plan to design the Special Issue by including articles prepared by recognized experts in the field within the SIPO. Obviously, the issue will accommodate additional contributions from other experts following a proper announcement and promotion on Cancers.

Dr. Antonello Pinto
Dr. Marco Luigi Bellani
Dr. Gabriella De Benedetta
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • parenting
  • cancer
  • parental cancer
  • children of cancer patients

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 531 KiB  
Article
Psychological Experiences of Parents of Pediatric Cancer Patients during and after COVID-19 Pandemic
by Antonella Guido, Elisa Marconi, Laura Peruzzi, Nicola Dinapoli, Gianpiero Tamburrini, Giorgio Attinà, Alberto Romano, Palma Maurizi, Stefano Mastrangelo, Silvia Chiesa, Maria Antonietta Gambacorta, Antonio Ruggiero and Daniela Pia Rosaria Chieffo
Cancers 2024, 16(5), 891; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16050891 - 22 Feb 2024
Viewed by 751
Abstract
Background: Family members dealing with the devastating impact of a cancer diagnosis are now facing even greater vulnerability due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside the already overwhelming trauma, they must also bear the distressing burden of the infection risks. The purpose of this [...] Read more.
Background: Family members dealing with the devastating impact of a cancer diagnosis are now facing even greater vulnerability due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside the already overwhelming trauma, they must also bear the distressing burden of the infection risks. The purpose of this study was to examine and explore the effects in parents of pediatric cancer patients two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to compare these data with the previous data. Methods: We conducted a single-center prospective observational study, enrolling 75 parents of 42 pediatric oncology patients. Four questionnaires (IES-R; PSS; STAI-Y and PedsQL) were given to the parents 2 years after the first evaluation. Results: The bivariate matrix of correlation found a strong significant positive correlation between IES-R and PSS scores (r = 0.526, p < 0.001) as in T1. Stress symptoms (t = 0.00, p < 0.001) and levels of anxiety (trait) (t = 0.32, p < 0.001) remained unchanged; anxiety state levels appeared to have increased (t = 0.425, p < 0.001); there was a significant decrease in the PedsQL tot (t = 5.25, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the levels of stress and anxiety of parents and the quality of life of patients, also correlating with the traumatic impact of the diagnosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parenting and Cancer)
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16 pages, 302 KiB  
Article
Young Adult Caregiving Daughters and Diagnosed Mothers Navigating Breast Cancer Together: Open and Avoidant Communication and Psychosocial Outcomes
by Carla L. Fisher, Gemme Campbell-Salome, Diliara Bagautdinova, Kevin B. Wright, Larry F. Forthun, Kelsey C. Bacharz, M. Devyn Mullis, Bianca Wolf, Deidre B. Pereira, Lisa Spiguel and Carma L. Bylund
Cancers 2023, 15(15), 3864; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15153864 - 29 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1263
Abstract
For many diagnosed mothers and their daughters, breast cancer is a shared experience. However, they struggle to talk about cancer. This is particularly true when the daughter is in adolescence or young adulthood, as they tend to be more avoidant, which is associated [...] Read more.
For many diagnosed mothers and their daughters, breast cancer is a shared experience. However, they struggle to talk about cancer. This is particularly true when the daughter is in adolescence or young adulthood, as they tend to be more avoidant, which is associated with poorer biopsychosocial outcomes. When daughters are their mother’s caregivers, daughters’ burden and distress are heightened. Young adult caregiving daughters (YACDs) are the second most common family caregiver and encounter more distress and burden than other caregiver types. Yet, YACDs and their diagnosed mothers receive no guidance on how to talk about cancer. Thirty-nine mother/YACD pairs participated in an online survey to identify challenging topics and strategies for talking about cancer, and to explore associations between openness/avoidance and psychosocial outcomes. YACDs and mothers reported the same challenging topics (death, treatment-related issues, negative emotions, relational challenges, YACDs’ disease risk) but differed on why they avoided the topic. YACDs and mothers identified the same helpful approaches to navigate conversations (openness, staying positive, third-party involvement, avoidance). Avoidance was correlated with more distress whereas openness was correlated with better psychosocial outcomes. These results provide a psychosocial map for a mother-YACD communication skills intervention, which is key to promoting healthy outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parenting and Cancer)
16 pages, 3850 KiB  
Article
Emotional, Behavioral, and Physical Health Consequences in Caregivers of Children with Cancer: A Network Analysis Differentiation in Mothers’ and Fathers’ Reactivity
by Dorella Scarponi, Pierfrancesco Sarti, Veronica Rivi, Chiara Colliva, Elisa Marconi, Andrea Pession and Johanna M. C. Blom
Cancers 2023, 15(13), 3496; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15133496 - 4 Jul 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1560
Abstract
Background: Pediatric cancer presents mental and physical challenges for patients and their caregivers. However, parental distress has been understudied despite its negative impact on quality of life, disability, and somatic disorders. Parents of oncopediatric patients experience high levels of suffering with their resilience [...] Read more.
Background: Pediatric cancer presents mental and physical challenges for patients and their caregivers. However, parental distress has been understudied despite its negative impact on quality of life, disability, and somatic disorders. Parents of oncopediatric patients experience high levels of suffering with their resilience tested throughout their children’s illness. Identifying at-risk parents and offering specific treatments is crucial and urgent to prevent or alleviate negative outcomes. Methods: This study used statistical and network analyses to examine symptom patterns assessed by the Kellner Symptom Questionnaire in 16 fathers and 23 mothers at different time points: diagnosis, treatment, and discharge. Results: The results indicated significantly higher distress levels in parents of oncopediatric children compared to the control reference population. Gender-specific differences in symptom profiles were observed at each time point, and symptoms showed a gradual but non-significant decrease over time. Conclusions: The network analysis yielded valuable insights that, when applied in clinical practice, can guide the implementation of timely treatments to prevent and manage parental distress, thus addressing long-term, stress-related issues in primary caregivers of children diagnosed and treated for cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parenting and Cancer)
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14 pages, 303 KiB  
Article
Adult-Child Caregivers’ Family Communication Experiences after an Older Parent’s Blood Cancer Diagnosis: A Survey Exploring Their Openness, Avoidance, and Social Support
by Kevin B. Wright, Carma L. Bylund, Taylor S. Vasquez, M. Devyn Mullis, Maria Sae-Hau, Elisa S. Weiss, Diliara Bagautdinova and Carla L. Fisher
Cancers 2023, 15(12), 3177; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15123177 - 14 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1363
Abstract
Adult-child caregivers of an aging parent living with a blood cancer describe struggling to communicate with one another and within the family system. They may avoid critical care conversations, which may impede care and their ability to receive social support. We examined what [...] Read more.
Adult-child caregivers of an aging parent living with a blood cancer describe struggling to communicate with one another and within the family system. They may avoid critical care conversations, which may impede care and their ability to receive social support. We examined what approaches adult-child caregivers of a parent diagnosed with a blood cancer use to enhance their family communication, the topics they find most challenging to discuss, and the roles of openness and support. We used qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyze data from a larger online survey study. In partnership with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we recruited 121 adult-child caregivers. Responses to one open-ended item were analyzed to capture strategies used to enhance communication with their parent and family. They reported utilizing digital communication modalities, prioritizing frequent communication, engaging in openness, establishing boundaries, kinkeeping, and enacting support. Within the quantitative data, we further explored two of these themes (openness and support) and their relationships to other variables using t-tests and regression analysis. Adult-child caregivers and diagnosed parents avoid talking about mortality and negative feelings. Openness in the family about cancer was linked to caregivers’ perceptions of receiving social support. Findings demonstrate that cultivating openness between midlife adult children and diagnosed parents may enhance opportunities to receive support. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parenting and Cancer)
23 pages, 1612 KiB  
Article
Mothers with Cancer: An Intersectional Mixed-Methods Study Investigating Role Demands and Perceived Coping Abilities
by Athina Spiropoulos, Julie Deleemans, Sara Beattie and Linda E. Carlson
Cancers 2023, 15(6), 1915; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15061915 - 22 Mar 2023
Viewed by 2139
Abstract
Mothers with cancer report guilt associated with failing to successfully balance their parental roles and cancer. This study utilized a cross-sectional mixed-methods design and intersectional framework to investigate the multiple roles that mothers with cancer assume and their perceived coping ability. Participants included [...] Read more.
Mothers with cancer report guilt associated with failing to successfully balance their parental roles and cancer. This study utilized a cross-sectional mixed-methods design and intersectional framework to investigate the multiple roles that mothers with cancer assume and their perceived coping ability. Participants included mothers diagnosed with any type or stage of cancer, in treatment or ≤3 years post-treatment, and experiencing cancer-related disability with a dependent child (<18 years, living at home). Participants completed a questionnaire battery, semi-structured interview, and optional focus group. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and thematic inductive analyses are reported. The participants’ (N = 18) mean age was 45 years (SD = 5.50), and 67% were in active treatment. Their role participation (M = 42.74, ±6.21), role satisfaction (M = 43.32, ±5.61), and self-efficacy (M = 43.34, ±5.62) were lower than the general population score of 50. Greater role participation and higher role satisfaction were positively correlated (r = 0.74, p ≤ 0.001). A qualitative analysis revealed that the mothers retained most roles, and that their quality of life depended on their capacity to balance those roles through emotion-focused and problem-focused coping. We developed the intersectional Role Coping as a Mother with Cancer (RCMC) model, which has potential research and clinical utility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parenting and Cancer)
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10 pages, 300 KiB  
Article
Maternal Cancer and Perception of Child Psychological Adjustment: The Role of Mother’s Anxiety, Depression, and Parenting Stress
by Alessandra Babore, Carmen Trumello, Tânia Brandão, Alessandra Cavallo and Sonia Monique Bramanti
Cancers 2023, 15(3), 910; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15030910 - 31 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1650
Abstract
A mother’s cancer diagnosis may have consequences for all family members, particularly for children, since it makes a parent less physically and emotionally available, with effects on the relationship with the child and his/her development. The main aim of this study was to [...] Read more.
A mother’s cancer diagnosis may have consequences for all family members, particularly for children, since it makes a parent less physically and emotionally available, with effects on the relationship with the child and his/her development. The main aim of this study was to analyze children’s psychological adjustment in the context of maternal cancer by considering factors related to the child (i.e., age and sex), the mother (psychological adjustment), and cancer (i.e., time elapsed from the diagnosis and current oncological treatment). Self-report questionnaires investigating mothers’ parenting stress, depression, anxiety, and children’s emotional and behavioral problems were administered to 124 mothers (mean age = 44.52 years; SD = 7.22) diagnosed with cancer. A hierarchical regression analysis highlighted that time since diagnosis and mothers’ anxiety and parenting stress accounted for almost 44% of the variance of the children’s difficulties. Maternal depression, current oncological treatment, and the child’s age and sex were not statistically significant. Higher mothers’ parenting stress and anxiety and a longer time elapsed since the first diagnosis predicted higher levels of children’s emotional and behavioral problems. These findings highlight the need to identify precursors of childhood distress in the context of maternal cancer and to develop structured programs to support both mothers and children. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parenting and Cancer)
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