Korean mothers' psychosocial adjustment to their children's cancer.

BACKGROUND: During the course of adjustment to their child's illness and medical treatment, parents of children with cancer may experience numerous challenges and difficulties. Although parental adjustment has been a research topic for many years, little research has been conducted among families in different cultures and countries. AIM: To identify factors that influence maternal psychosocial adjustment to childhood cancer using a new cultural group: Korean. METHODS: A sample of 200 Korean mothers of children with cancer was included in the study. Guided by the double ABCX model of family adjustment and adaptation, a series of variables (i.e. maternal stress, coping, social support and selected illness-related and demographic questions) were examined for their relationships with maternal psychosocial adjustment to childhood cancer. RESULTS: Using a hierarchical multiple regression, we found perceived level of stress, coping, social support, and time since diagnosis to be significant correlates of maternal psychosocial adjustment. Stress accounted for most (50%) of the total variance explained (56%) in maternal adjustment. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the stress-coping framework may be appropriate in explaining maternal responses to childhood cancer across cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]