Anxiety Among Adolescent Survivors of Pediatric Cancer.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this review was to synthesize current knowledge about anxiety among adolescent survivors of pediatric cancer and highlights areas for future research.

METHODS

Systematic literature searches were conducted in five databases for articles published anytime before December 28, 2015. Manuscripts were reviewed by a team of six coders. Included manuscripts reported outcomes relevant to anxiety, worry, and post-traumatic stress in survivors of pediatric cancer (age at the time of study: 10-22 years) who were off treatment.

RESULTS

Twenty-four articles met inclusion criteria. Included results were categorized into the following domains: post-traumatic stress, anxiety, cancer-related worry, and interventions. With the exception of post-traumatic stress, there was little research about anxiety in this population; however, studies generally indicated that adolescent survivors of pediatric cancer are at elevated risk for anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and cancer-related worry.

CONCLUSIONS

This review provides preliminary evidence that anxiety is a relevant, but understudied, psychosocial outcome for adolescent survivors of pediatric cancer. More research is needed to better understand the presentation of anxiety in this population, its effect on survivors' quality of life, and possible areas for intervention.