TY - JOUR A1 - Möller, Birgit A1 - Barkmann, Claus A1 - Krattenmacher, Thomas A1 - Kühne, Franziska A1 - Bergelt, Corinna A1 - Beierlein, Volker A1 - Ernst, Johanna A1 - Brähler, Elmar A1 - Flechtner, Hans-Henning A1 - Herzog, Wolfgang A1 - Klitzing, Kai A1 - Führer, Daniel A1 - Resch, Franz A1 - Romer, Georg T1 - Children of cancer patients: prevalence and predictors of emotional and behavioral problems JF - Cancer N2 - BACKGROUND Children of patients with cancer are at increased risk for developing emotional and behavioral problems. This study explored the prevalence and predictors of emotional and behavioral problems in Children of cancer patients in a multisite research project. METHODS A cross-sectional sample of N = 235 families was recruited simultaneously in 5 university medical centers. The participants, including parents (N = 402) and children (N = 324; ages 11-21 years) completed standardized questionnaires. Emotional and behavioral problems in children were measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). On the basis of previous research and using a mixed-model approach, child-, parent-, family- and cancer-related variables were examined in addition to socioeconomic status as potential predictors. Descriptive statistics and a multiple random coefficient model were used in the analyses. RESULTS Compared to norms, Children of cancer patients show increased mean levels of emotional and behavioral symptoms. The best predictor of emotional and behavioral problems from the perspectives of the child, the healthy parent, and the ill parent was general family dysfunction. Although family dysfunction was identified as the main predictor, the analysis revealed that the main part of variance was related to the individual child's level. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that screening for child mental health problems and family dysfunction in oncological and psychosocial treatment units can identify the families most in need of psychosocial support. Psychological services need to be both family-oriented and child-centered and focus on family dysfunction to prevent mental health problems in children. KW - Adolescent KW - Adult KW - Child KW - Child Behavior Disorders/etiology KW - Child of Impaired Parents/psychology KW - Female KW - Humans KW - Male KW - Mental Disorders/etiology KW - Neoplasms/psychology KW - Parents/psychology KW - Prevalence KW - Risk Factors KW - Surveys and Questionnaires KW - Young Adult Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cncr.28644 VL - 120 SP - 2361 EP - 2370 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krattenmacher, Thomas A1 - Kühne, Franziska A1 - Ernst, Johanna A1 - Bergelt, Corinna A1 - Romer, Georg A1 - Möller, Birgit T1 - Parental cancer: factors associated with children's psychosocial adjustment - a systematic review JF - Journal of psychosomatic research N2 - OBJECTIVE Children of cancer patients have an increased risk of developing psychosocial problems. But not all children are alike vulnerable to this stressful event. Thus, knowledge of risk and protective factors is required to design specific diagnostic tools and interventions for this vulnerable population. This study aims to provide a review and methodological evaluation of current studies examining factors associated with children's psychosocial adjustment when a parent has cancer. METHODS Four databases were systematically searched for quantitative research articles examining associative factors of children's adjustment. Study characteristics were analyzed and methodological quality was assessed by two independent reviewers. RESULTS 28 studies examining associative factors in 2896 families were identified. The included studies used a broad range of instruments assessing children's adjustment. Most patients were female breast cancer patients with middle to high socio-economic status. The majority of included studies used correlational approaches and cross-sectional designs. None of the studies examined toddlers or assessed children's quality of life. Across studies with low to high quality, we found no evidence of illness-related factors, except worse disease status that was related to lower adjustment. Evidence from moderate to high quality studies suggest that better family functioning indicates better adjustment, whereas parent's depressive mood indicates worse adjustment of the children. Child-related factors were inconsistent. CONCLUSION Health professionals should pay attention to cancer patients' dependent children. In order to identify this at-risk population, parent's depressive mood and poor family functioning should be considered. Future studies should also assess children's quality of life and child-related factors. KW - Adaptation KW - Psychological KW - Child KW - Humans KW - Neoplasms/psychology KW - Parents/psychology KW - Social Adjustment Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2012.01.011 VL - 72 SP - 344 EP - 356 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krattenmacher, Thomas A1 - Kühne, Franziska A1 - Führer, Daniel A1 - Ernst, Johanna A1 - Brähler, Elmar A1 - Herzog, Wolfgang A1 - Klitzing, Kai A1 - Flechtner, Hans-Henning A1 - Bergelt, Corinna A1 - Romer, Georg A1 - Möller, Birgit T1 - Kinder krebskranker Eltern - elterliches Coping, familiäres Funktionsniveau und psychosoziale Anpassung der Kinder JF - Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie N2 - Children exposed to parental cancer have an increased risk of mental health problems. However, the parental illness itself and its features do not predict children's psychological adjustment. Parent- and family-related factors are more predictive for children's well-being and the incidence of psychopathological symptoms, respectively. This study focuses on parental ways of coping with illness from both, the ill and healthy parent's perspective, and the relationship with family functioning and children's adjustment. Results show a significant impact of parental coping styles on children's health-related quality of life and psychopathological symptoms and, furthermore, that this relationship is mediated by aspects of family functioning. This study support the importance of family systems approaches. Implications for further studies and practical issues are discussed. KW - Adaptation KW - Psychological KW - Adolescent KW - Adult KW - Child KW - Child of Impaired Parents/psychology KW - Preschool KW - Family Relations KW - Female KW - Germany KW - Humans KW - Male KW - Neoplasms/psychology KW - Parents/psychology KW - Quality of Life/psychology KW - Social Adjustment KW - Surveys and Questionnaires Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.13109/prkk.2012.61.6.447 SN - 0032-7034 VL - 61 SP - 447 EP - 462 ER -