2Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş-Türkiye DOI : 10.5505/tjo.2024.4457 OBJECTIVE
Children and adolescents face significant changes in their routines and family roles when a parent is diagnosed with cancer. The aim of our study was to evaluate the levels of anxiety and depression and the quality of life in children and adolescents of parents with cancer.
METHODS
The study included 50 children and adolescents, aged 8-17 years, whose parents had cancer, and 50
age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Anxiety and depression levels were assessed using the State-Trait
Anxiety Inventory (STAI-1 and STAI-2) and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), respectively.
The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) was used to measure the quality of life.
RESULTS
Compared to the control group, the children and adolescents of parents with cancer had significantly
higher STAI-1, STAI-2, and CDI scores and significantly lower scores on the PedsQL physical health and
psychosocial health subscales, as well as the total scale score (p<0.05). The majority of these children
and adolescents were found to experience one or more problems related to their parent"s illness, such as
increased responsibilities and changes in lifestyle.
CONCLUSION
Our study found that anxiety and depression levels were higher and quality of life was poorer in children
and adolescents of parents with cancer. These results highlight the importance of providing psychological
support to these children and adolescents.