Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization (DPSS), University of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy.
Complex Structure of Pediatrics and Pediatric Oncohematology "Nadia Toffa", Central Hospital Santissima Annunziata, 74121 Taranto, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Jan 10;21(1):77. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21010077.
The onset of chronic diseases in childhood represents a stressful event for both young patients and their caregivers. In this context, coping strategies play a fundamental role in dealing with illness-related challenges. Although numerous studies have explored coping strategies employed by parents of children with chronic diseases, there remains a gap in the understanding of children's coping strategies and their correlation with their and their parents' anxiety. This study aims to investigate coping strategies and their interaction with anxiety in groups of young patients with cancer, type 1 diabetes (T1D), and their respective caregivers, in comparison to healthy children and caregivers. We recruited a total of 61 control children, 33 with cancer, and 56 with T1D, 7 to 15 years old, along with their mothers. Each participant completed a customized survey and standardized questionnaires. No significant differences emerged in coping strategies used by children among the different groups. However, when examining the association between coping strategy and anxiety, we found specific patterns of interaction between children's use of coping strategies and their and their mothers' anxiety levels. This study underscores the importance of an illness-specific approach to gain deeper insights into this topic and develop targeted interventions aimed at enhancing the psychological well-being of these vulnerable populations.
儿童期慢性疾病的发作对年轻患者及其照顾者来说都是一个压力事件。在这种情况下，应对策略在应对与疾病相关的挑战方面起着至关重要的作用。尽管许多研究已经探讨了患有慢性疾病的儿童的父母所采用的应对策略，但对于儿童的应对策略以及它们与自身和父母焦虑之间的相关性仍存在理解上的差距。本研究旨在调查患有癌症、1 型糖尿病 (T1D) 的年轻患者及其各自的照顾者群体中的应对策略及其与焦虑的相互作用，并与健康儿童和照顾者进行比较。我们共招募了 61 名对照儿童，其中 33 名患有癌症，56 名患有 T1D，年龄在 7 至 15 岁之间，同时还招募了他们的母亲。每位参与者都完成了一份定制的调查问卷和标准化的问卷。在不同组别的儿童中，他们使用的应对策略没有显著差异。然而，当我们检查应对策略与焦虑之间的关联时，我们发现了儿童使用应对策略与他们自身和母亲的焦虑水平之间存在特定的相互作用模式。这项研究强调了采用特定疾病方法的重要性，以更深入地了解这一主题，并制定有针对性的干预措施，旨在增强这些弱势群体的心理健康。
