Post-traumatic stress in parents of long-term childhood cancer survivors compared to parents of the Swiss general population
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Background: We describe post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in parents of long-term childhood cancer survivors (CCS-parents) and compare them to parents of similar-aged children (comparison-parents) of the Swiss general population (SGP). We compare type of reported stressful event, prevalence of PTSS and PTSD, and psychosocial and cancer-related characteristics associated with PTSS. We further describe the respective normative data for the SGP. Methods: We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional questionnaire survey in a population-based sample of long-term CCS-parents (survivors aged ≤16 years at diagnosis, ≥20 years at study, >5 years post-diagnosis) and in the SGP. Using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, we measured PTSS regarding the most stressful event experienced, and computed probable cases of PTSD. Results: Participants included 663 CCS-parents (39.4% fathers) and 1035 individuals of the SGP (40.0% male), of which we identified 391 comparison-parents (41.2% fathers). Illness was most often indicated as stressful event (CCS-parents: 49.5%, comparison-parents: 27.6%, SGP: 25.3%). Prevalence of PTSS and PTSD (CCS-parents: 4.8%, comparison-parents: 6.7%, SGP: 5.6%) did not significantly differ. Lower education was associated with higher intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal in all samples (all P ≤ .003). Parents of children with a chronic illness reported higher intrusion (all P ≤ .004). We found no associations with cancer-related characteristics. Conclusions: No increased risk for PTSS or PTSD was found among CCS-parents. Individuals with lower education and those with a chronically ill child might benefit from additional support to help manage and resolve the stress symptoms in the long term.
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Without intervention, parents' distress can last years.
“Without intervention, parents’ distress can last years [5,8].”
From Providing psychological support to parents of childhood cancer survivors: ‘cascade’ intervention trial results and lessons for the future (2021) · cites this paper as [8]
The Introduction reports clinically relevant post-traumatic stress symptoms in a substantial proportion of parents up to five years after treatment, supporting that distress can last years. The paper does not establish that this occurs specifically without intervention; its Discussion says symptoms generally appear to decrease over time. The indexed passages provide section labels but no page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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- Authors
- Baenziger, J., Roser, K., Mader, L., Harju, E., Ansari, M., Waespe, N., Scheinemann, K., & Michel, G.
- Affiliations
- University of Lucerne (CH)
- University of Geneva (CH)
- University of Basel (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Michel, Gisela
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research & Practice
- Published
- 2020-07-28
- Volume
- 2
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- e024
- ISSN
- 2637-5974 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7411524
- OpenAlex
- W3049610935
- Cited by
- 18
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 2.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- BORIS (University Library Bern) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Open Access CRIS of the University of Bern
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (100019, 178330, 153268, 100019_153268 / 1, 10001C_182129/1, P2LUP3_175288 to LM, 175288)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Keywords
- post-traumatic stress disorder, posttraumatic stress symptoms, childhood cancer survivors, parents of cancer survivors, parental stress, children with chronic illness, educational attainment, intrusion, avoidance, hyperarousal, reference values, Impact of Event Scale-Revised
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