Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 North Walnut Street, WARF Office 503, Madison, WI, 53726, USA.
Support Care Cancer. 2014 Feb;22(2):503-11. doi: 10.1007/s00520-013-2003-4. Epub 2013 Oct 8.
Research suggests a relationship between caring for a child with cancer and psychological distress in caregivers. Less evident is the role which financial difficulties might play in this relationship. We sought to determine if caring for a child with cancer was related to clinically relevant depressive symptoms among parents, whether or not financial difficulties mediated this relationship, and if financial difficulties were independently associated with symptoms of depression among parents of children with cancer.
Data are from 215 parents of children diagnosed with cancer or brain tumors (n = 75) and a comparison group of parents of healthy children (n = 140). Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess the factors associated with reporting clinically relevant depressive symptoms.
Caring for a child with cancer was associated with increased odds of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in parents (OR = 4.93; 95 % CI 1.97-12.30), controlling for covariates. The mediating effect of financial burden on this relationship was not statistically significant. However, among parents of children with cancer, negative financial life events increased the likelihood of reporting symptoms of depression (OR = 4.89; 95 % CI 1.26-18.96).
Caring for a child with cancer was associated with depressive symptoms for parents. Financial difficulties were the strongest correlate of these symptoms among parents of children with cancer. Our results suggest that it may not only be the burden of caring for the child with cancer but also the associated financial difficulties that contribute to a higher likelihood of depressive symptoms in parents.
研究表明，照顾癌症患儿与照顾者的心理困扰之间存在关系。但不太明显的是，经济困难在这种关系中可能扮演的角色。我们试图确定照顾癌症患儿是否与父母的临床相关抑郁症状有关，经济困难是否在这种关系中起中介作用，以及经济困难是否与癌症患儿父母的抑郁症状独立相关。
数据来自 215 名患有癌症或脑肿瘤的儿童的父母（n=75）和健康儿童的父母对照组（n=140）。采用多逻辑回归分析评估与报告临床相关抑郁症状相关的因素。
在控制了协变量后，照顾癌症患儿的父母报告临床相关抑郁症状的几率增加（OR=4.93；95%CI 1.97-12.30）。经济负担对这种关系的中介作用不具有统计学意义。然而，在癌症患儿的父母中，负面的财务生活事件增加了报告抑郁症状的可能性（OR=4.89；95%CI 1.26-18.96）。
照顾癌症患儿与父母的抑郁症状有关。经济困难是癌症患儿父母这些症状的最强相关因素。我们的结果表明，可能不仅是照顾癌症患儿的负担，还有相关的经济困难，导致父母更有可能出现抑郁症状。
