Psychological impact of diagnosis and treatment
Psychological impact of diagnosis and treatment |
| A diagnosis of paediatric cancer has a significant emotional impact on the children and their families; however it is important to note that many families adjust adaptively over time. Research indicates that the majority of childhood cancer patients report minimal symptoms of long-term psychological distress, with some evidence to say that some survivors also report positive psychological effects of their experience with cancer. The Paediatric Psychology Preventative Model (Kazak, 2006) describes psychosocial risk in families conceptualised as a pyramid: 1. The majority of families (approximately 70%) fall into a ‘Universal’ category. These families are distressed but resilient and interventions should focus on providing general support and information 2. A smaller set of families (approximately 20%) are labelled ‘Targeted’. These families experience acute distress and present with identifiable risk factors. Interventions for the ‘targeted’ group, would ideally focus on monitoring distress and interventions specific to symptoms/risk factors 3. The remaining families (approximately 10%) fall into the ‘Clinical’ category. These families experience persistent and/or escalating distress and a high number of risk factors. Interventions with the clinical families would require intervention by a mental health professional. The evidence also shows that there is a subset of families and survivors that will continue to experience symptoms of distress following treatment. Specifically, Kazak et.al (2004) indicated that rates of posttraumatic stress disorder are often higher in parents than the child with cancer. More information can be found through the following articles: |
|
|
|
|
|
|