TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ernst, Johanna Christine
A1  - Beierlein, Volker
A1  - Romer, Georg
A1  - Möller, Birgit
A1  - Koch, Uwe
A1  - Bergelt, Corinna
T1  - Use and need for psychosocial support in cancer patients: a population-based sample of patients with minor children
T2  - Cancer
N2  - BACKGROUND Cancer patients and their minor children have been shown to experience psychological distress. The objectives of the current study were to 1) describe the need for and use of psychosocial support and 2) determine predictors of family-centered support use in patients with minor children. METHODS A population-based sample of 1809 patients was recruited via 2 cancer registries. The eligibility criteria were age 25 years to 55 years, an initial diagnosis received no longer than 6 years before this survey, and having at least 1 minor child. Medical characteristics and self-report measures were used. RESULTS Overall, approximately 38% cases were identified as being borderline or probable anxiety cases and 16% were identified as being borderline or probable depression cases. Since diagnosis, 44% of the patients had used psychosocial support and 9% had received family-focused and child-focused support. These patients perceived a lower quality of life and poorer family functioning. Approximately 73% of patients with children wanted information concerning or psychosocial services to support their children or parenting. Use of family-centered support was not found to be predicted by disease-related factors (eg, cancer staging) but rather by subjective needs (eg, mental health and having a distressed child in the family). CONCLUSIONS The results of the current study emphasize the importance of child and parenting concerns in psychosocial care in oncology. Screenings for children and appropriate training programs for health care may increase awareness of this issue.
KW  - Adult
KW  - Anxiety Disorders/psychology
KW  - Child
KW  - Depressive Disorder/psychology
KW  - Family/psychology
KW  - Female
KW  - Germany
KW  - Health Services Needs and Demand
KW  - Humans
KW  - Male
KW  - Middle Aged
KW  - Neoplasms/psychology
KW  - Parenting/psychology
KW  - Registries
KW  - Social Support
KW  - Socioeconomic Factors
Y1  - 2013
UR  - https://www.hb.fh-muenster.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/12699
VL  - 119
SP  - 2333
EP  - 2341
ER  -