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This prospective study examined the role of perceived partner criticism and avoidance in the anxiety and depressive symptoms of 148 mothers of children undergoing hemopaietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The roles of indicators of transplantation risk and posttransplantation medical course were also examined. Perceived partner criticism (e.g., criticizing coping efforts) and perceived partner avoidance (e.g., changing the topic), objective indicators of transplantation risk, and anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed at the time of HSCT and again 3 and 6 months later. Growth curve modeling analyses indicated that perceived partner criticism was associated with higher average depressive symptoms. However, perceived partner criticism did not predict changes in mother's anxiety. Contrary to predictions, perceived partner avoidance was associated with decreases in maternal anxiety., ((c) 2003 APA)

This study examined anxiety and depressive symptoms among 115 mothers of children undergoing bone marrow transplant and evaluated the ability of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI; A. T. Beck, N. Epstein, et al., 1988) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; A. T. Beck, 1978) to serve as screening tools for assessing generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). Mothers with BAI or BDI scores greater than or equal to 14 were administered a structured clinical interview. An additional 20% was randomly selected for interview to determine whether the scale cutoff was an accurate screening method. Among the 64 mothers interviewed, 20% received at least I of the 3 diagnoses. Although the BAI did not demonstrate predictive accuracy in assessing GAD and PD, the BDI did in assessing MDD. The results suggest that a subset of mothers may have an anxiety or depressive disorder and that investigators should use caution before using the BAI as a screening instrument for anxiety disorder.