Childhood cancer: a two-year prospective study of the psychological adjustment of children and parents

OBJECTIVE: To follow prospectively the psychological adjustment of young children, parents, and families during the first 2 years after the children's diagnosis of cancer. METHOD: Children aged 2 to 5 years with cancer diagnoses and their parents and families (n = 38) were assessed immediately after diagnosis, 1 year after diagnosis, and 2 years after diagnosis. At each assessment, the psychological adjustment of the children and their families was compared with the adjustment of a cohort of children and families in the general community (n = 39). RESULTS: Children with cancer and their parents experienced significantly more emotional distress than children and parents in the community during the period immediately after diagnosis. However, the number of problems experienced by the children with cancer and their parents declined during the first year after the children's diagnosis and stabilized at a level comparable with that found among children and parents in the general community. CONCLUSION: Although the results are consistent with reports that suggest that in the longer term the prevalence of psychological problems among children with cancer is similar to that found among children in the general community, they also highlight the considerable distress experienced by children and parents during the period immediately after the children's diagnosis.