1. Relationship Between Caregiver Uncertainty, Problem-Solving, and Psychological Adjustment in Pediatric Cancer.
- Author
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Basile NL, Chardon ML, Peugh J, Edwards CS, Szulczewski L, Morrison CF, Nagarajan R, El-Sheikh A, Chaney JM, Pai ALH, and Mullins LL
- Subjects
- Child, Depression, Emotional Adjustment, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Uncertainty, Caregivers, Neoplasms
- Abstract
Objective: The current study examined the roles of constructive and dysfunctional problem-solving strategies in the relationships between illness uncertainty and adjustment outcomes (i.e., anxious, depressive, and posttraumatic stress symptoms) in caregivers of children newly diagnosed with cancer., Methods: Two hundred thirty-eight caregivers of children (0-19 years of age) newly diagnosed with cancer (2-14 weeks since diagnosis) completed measures of illness uncertainty, problem-solving strategies, and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress., Results: A mediation model path analysis assessed constructive and dysfunctional problem-solving strategies as mediators between illness uncertainty and caregiver anxious, depressive, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Dysfunctional problem-solving scores partially mediated the relationships between illness uncertainty and anxious, depressive, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Constructive problem-solving scores did not mediate these relationships., Conclusions: The current findings suggest that illness uncertainty and dysfunctional problem-solving strategies, but not constructive problem-solving strategies, may play a key role in the adjustment of caregivers of children newly diagnosed with cancer. Interventions aimed at managing illness uncertainty and mitigating the impact of dysfunctional problem-solving strategies may promote psychological adjustment., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)
- Published
- 2021
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