Department of Psychology.
Seattle Children's Research Institute.
Health Psychol. 2022 Jan;41(1):43-52. doi: 10.1037/hea0001122. Epub 2021 Dec 2.
Previous work has examined family income and material hardship in pediatric cancer. However, few studies have focused on perceived financial strain (PFS), or the extent to which caregivers perceive financial stress and worry related to their child's cancer. The current study addresses this gap by a) describing the trajectory of perceived financial strain over the first year of pediatric cancer treatment; b) examining sociodemographic predictors of that trajectory; and c) examining associations between PFS and caregiver and child psychological adjustment.
Primary caregivers of children ( = 6.31) recently diagnosed with cancer provided 12 monthly reports of their own perceived financial strain and depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms, as well as their child's internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Data were analyzed using multilevel models.
Caregiver PFS decreased over the first year of treatment. Nonmarried caregivers and those with lower income reported higher levels of PFS over time. Caregivers with higher PFS relative to other caregivers and relative to their own average PFS in a given month experienced psychological maladjustment. PFS was not associated with child adjustment.
On average caregivers perceive less financial strain over the first year of treatment; however, nonmarried caregivers and those with lower income are at risk for higher PFS over time, and PFS may contribute to psychological maladjustment in caregivers. Caregivers may benefit from psychosocial support focused on managing financial strain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
以往的研究已经考察了儿科癌症患者的家庭收入和物质困难。然而，很少有研究关注感知到的经济压力（PFS），即照顾者感知与孩子癌症相关的经济压力和担忧的程度。本研究通过以下三个方面来解决这一差距：（a）描述儿科癌症治疗第一年期间感知到的经济压力的轨迹；（b）检验该轨迹的社会人口学预测因素；（c）检验 PFS 与照顾者和儿童心理适应之间的关联。
最近被诊断患有癌症的儿童的主要照顾者（n=6.31）提供了 12 个月的每月报告，内容包括他们自己的感知经济压力以及抑郁、焦虑和创伤后应激症状，以及他们孩子的内化和外化症状。使用多层模型分析数据。
照顾者的 PFS 在治疗的第一年中逐渐降低。非已婚照顾者和收入较低的照顾者随着时间的推移报告了更高水平的 PFS。与其他照顾者相比，以及与他们自己在给定月份的平均 PFS 相比，PFS 较高的照顾者经历了心理适应不良。PFS 与孩子的适应无关。
平均而言，照顾者在治疗的第一年中感知到的经济压力较小；然而，非已婚照顾者和收入较低的照顾者随着时间的推移面临更高的 PFS 风险，而 PFS 可能导致照顾者的心理适应不良。照顾者可能会受益于专注于管理经济压力的心理社会支持。
