Ramy Hisham A, Sultan Sara M, Salama Rasha A
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Department of Psychiatry, Ibrahim Bin Hamad Obidullah Hospital, Ras al Khaimah, UAE.
Narra J. 2025 Apr;5(1):e1740. doi: 10.52225/narra.v5i1.1740. Epub 2025 Jan 6.
Caregivers of children with cancer frequently endure considerable psychological distress. The challenging nature of caregiving, combined with the emotional burden of witnessing a child's illness and treatment, can impact the quality of life and lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in these caregivers. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of PTSD among caregivers of pediatric cancer patients and to identify the risk factors contributing to its development. Additionally, it examined the stress burden on caregivers and its impact on their quality of life. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted over six months at the outpatient pediatric oncology clinics in Ain Shams University Hospital and the National Cancer Institute, Cairo, Egypt. The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, Zarit Burden Interview, and PCASEE quality of life were utilized to assess the PTSD symptoms, perceived burden, and quality of life, respectively. A total of 60 caregivers of children with cancer and 60 caregivers of children without cancer were included. Among the caregivers of children with cancer, 91.3% (n = 55) exhibited post-traumatic stress symptoms, with 31.3% (n = 19) meeting the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, compared to 0% of caregivers of children without cancer. Caregivers of children with cancer had significantly higher stress burden and lower quality of life scores compared to caregivers of children without cancer (48.66 ± 9.95 vs 13.25 ± 5.64; = 0.001 and 51.8 ± 15.2 vs 72.2 ± 14.3; < 0.001, respectively). Young age ( = 0.033), being a mother ( = 0.003), and taking care of those with tumor relapse ( = 0.012) were identified as significant factors associated with PTSD development among caregivers of cancer patients. Moreover, caregivers of children with cancer experienced significantly higher stress burden levels and reduced quality of life compared to those caring for children without cancer ( = 0.001), further increasing their risk of developing PTSD. These findings highlight the critical need for targeted psychological support and interventions to improve the well-being of these caregivers.
癌症患儿的照料者常常承受着巨大的心理压力。照料工作的挑战性，再加上目睹孩子患病和接受治疗带来的情感负担，会影响生活质量，并导致这些照料者患上创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）。本研究的目的是评估儿科癌症患者照料者中PTSD的患病率，并确定导致其发生的风险因素。此外，研究还考察了照料者的压力负担及其对生活质量的影响。在埃及开罗的艾因·沙姆斯大学医院和国家癌症研究所的儿科肿瘤门诊进行了为期六个月的横断面比较研究。分别使用《精神疾病诊断与统计手册》第5版创伤后应激障碍检查表、扎里特负担访谈量表和PCASEE生活质量量表来评估PTSD症状、感知负担和生活质量。共纳入了60名癌症患儿的照料者和60名非癌症患儿的照料者。在癌症患儿的照料者中，91.3%（n = 55）表现出创伤后应激症状，其中31.3%（n = 19）符合PTSD的诊断标准，而非癌症患儿的照料者这一比例为0%。与非癌症患儿的照料者相比，癌症患儿的照料者压力负担显著更高，生活质量得分更低（分别为48.66±9.95对13.25±5.64；P = 0.001和51.8±15.2对72.2±14.3；P < 0.001）。年龄较小（P = 0.033）、身为母亲（P = 0.003）以及照料肿瘤复发的患儿（P = 0.012）被确定为癌症患者照料者中与PTSD发生相关的重要因素。此外，与照料非癌症患儿的照料者相比，癌症患儿的照料者经历的压力负担水平显著更高，生活质量更低（P = 0.001），这进一步增加了他们患PTSD的风险。这些发现凸显了针对性心理支持和干预措施对于改善这些照料者福祉的迫切需求。
