@article{ErnstBeierleinRomeretal.2013, author = {Ernst, Johanna Christine and Beierlein, Volker and Romer, Georg and M{\"o}ller, Birgit and Koch, Uwe and Bergelt, Corinna}, title = {Use and need for psychosocial support in cancer patients: a population-based sample of patients with minor children}, series = {Cancer}, volume = {119}, journal = {Cancer}, doi = {10.1002/cncr.28021}, pages = {2333 -- 2341}, year = {2013}, abstract = {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.}, subject = {Adult}, language = {en} } @article{KrattenmacherKuehneFuehreretal.2013, author = {Krattenmacher, Thomas and K{\"u}hne, Franziska and F{\"u}hrer, Daniel and Beierlein, Volker and Br{\"a}hler, Elmar and Resch, Franz and Klitzing, Kai V. and Flechtner, Hans-Henning and Bergelt, Corinna and Romer, Georg and M{\"o}ller, Birgit}, title = {Coping skills and mental health status in adolescents when a parent has cancer: a multicenter and multi-perspective study}, series = {Journal of psychosomatic research}, volume = {74}, journal = {Journal of psychosomatic research}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychores.2012.10.003}, pages = {252 -- 259}, year = {2013}, abstract = {OBJECTIVE Parental cancer increases the risk of psychosocial problems in adolescents. We investigated the frequency and efficacy of adolescents' coping strategies and relationships between those strategies and mental health status. Age and gender differences regarding coping and mental health were also investigated. METHODS In total, 214 adolescents from 167 families participated in a cross-sectional, multicenter study. All participants were recruited from standard oncological care. Among the participants, 52\% utilized a child-centered intervention program. Adolescents' coping skills were measured using KIDCOPE. Mental health status was rated by adolescents and parents by the SDQ for symptomatology and the KIDSCREEN for well-being. RESULTS We found that 29\% of the adolescents showed emotional and behavioral problems. We found gender differences in mental health status but not in coping. Adolescents used a broad spectrum of coping strategies. Active problem-solving, distraction, acceptance, wishful thinking and seeking social support were the most frequently used coping strategies. The utilization of certain coping skills was mediated by their perceived efficacy. Problem-focused or approach-oriented coping strategies generally are associated with better mental health, while avoidance-oriented coping are associated with worse mental health. Emotion-focused coping was associated with both lower and higher mental health. CONCLUSION The strategies used by adolescents to cope with parental cancer are associated with their mental health. Problem-solving and approach-oriented coping strategies should be facilitated by psychological interventions regardless of age and gender. Age and gender differences in adolescents' mental health should be further investigated because these differences are not explained by differences in coping strategies.}, subject = {Adaptation}, language = {en} } @article{KuehneKrattenmacherBergeltetal.2013, author = {K{\"u}hne, Franziska and Krattenmacher, Thomas and Bergelt, Corinna and Beierlein, Volker and Herzog, Wolfgang and V Klitzing, Kai and Weschenfelder-Stachwitz, Heike and Romer, Georg and M{\"o}ller, Birgit}, title = {There is still so much ahead of us - Family functioning in families of palliative cancer patients}, series = {Families, systems \& health : the journal of collaborative family healthcare}, volume = {31}, journal = {Families, systems \& health : the journal of collaborative family healthcare}, doi = {10.1037/a0032274}, pages = {181 -- 193}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Adopting a systems approach, parental cancer has its impact on patients, spouses, and dependent children. The purpose of the current study was to examine family functioning dependent on parental disease stage and on family member perspective in families of cancer patients with adolescent children. The cross-sectional study was conducted within a German multisite research project of families before their first child-centered counseling encounter. The sample comprised individuals nested within N = 169 families. Analyses performed included analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and intraclass correlation. Open answers were analyzed following quantitative content analysis procedures. Between 15\% and 36\% of family members reported dysfunctional general functioning scores. Parents indicated more dysfunctional scores on the Family Assessment Device scale Roles, and adolescents more dysfunctional Communication scores. Regarding assessment of family functioning, there was higher agreement in families with parents in a palliative situation. For adolescents with parents in palliation, incidents because of the disease tend to become more dominant, and spending time with the family tends to become even more important. As our study pointed out, parental cancer, and especially parental palliative disease, is associated with both perceived critical and positive aspects in family functioning. Supporting families in these concerns as well as encouraging perceptions of positive aspects are important components of psycho-oncological interventions for families with dependent children.}, subject = {Adolescent}, language = {en} } @article{KuehneKrattenmacherBergeltetal.2013, author = {K{\"u}hne, Franziska and Krattenmacher, Thomas and Bergelt, Corinna and Bierbaum, Anna-Lena and Christine Ernst, Johanna and Flechtner, Hans-Henning and Keller, Monika and Klitzing, Kai V. and Romer, Georg and M{\"o}ller, Birgit}, title = {Elternschaft und Krebserkrankung: Dyadische Analyse von psychosozialer Belastung und gesundheitsbezogener Lebensqualit{\"a}t von krebskranken Eltern minderj{\"a}hriger Kinder}, series = {Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik, medizinische Psychologie}, volume = {63}, journal = {Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik, medizinische Psychologie}, doi = {10.1055/s-0033-1341454}, pages = {473 -- 481}, year = {2013}, abstract = {The purpose of this study was the analysis of psychological distress and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of parents with minor children during curative resp. palliative treatment.Cross-sectional design with a sample of N=89 parent dyads. Dyadic analysis of demographic, illness and family variables via mixed linear models.Patients and healthy partners indicated psychological distress on different subscales. Intradyadic correlations were small-moderate. Most important predictors of psychological distress and HRQoL were treatment stadium, gender, family functioning, and employment status.Dependent on demographic variables, psychooncological support was evident mainly for parents in palliative care and for families with dysfunctional functioning.}, subject = {Adult}, language = {de} }