Systematic review of psychosocial morbidities among bereaved parents of children with cancer
Corresponding Author
Abby R. Rosenberg MD
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Seattle Children's Hospital, M/S B-6553, PO Box 5371, Seattle 98105, Washington.===Search for more papers by this authorK. Scott Baker MD, MS
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Search for more papers by this authorKaren Syrjala PhD
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Search for more papers by this authorJoanne Wolfe MD, MPH
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Maryland
Children's Hospital, Boston, Maryland
Harvard Medical School, Boston, Maryland
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Abby R. Rosenberg MD
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Seattle Children's Hospital, M/S B-6553, PO Box 5371, Seattle 98105, Washington.===Search for more papers by this authorK. Scott Baker MD, MS
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Search for more papers by this authorKaren Syrjala PhD
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Search for more papers by this authorJoanne Wolfe MD, MPH
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Maryland
Children's Hospital, Boston, Maryland
Harvard Medical School, Boston, Maryland
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
The objective of this review was to comprehensively summarize existing studies utilizing validated instruments to measure psychosocial outcomes among bereaved parents of children with cancer. This population has increased risks of anxiety, depression, prolonged grief, and poor quality of life. Parental morbidity is associated with psychiatric co-morbidities, prior loss, economic hardship, duration, and intensity of child's cancer-therapy, perceptions of medical care, child's quality of life, preparedness for and location of the child's death. Rigorous, prospective research is needed to identify risk-groups, define outcomes, and design interventions which will improve parental outcomes after the death of a child due to cancer. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 58: 503–512. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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