Distress symptoms and support systems of Chinese parents of children with cancer

This study focused on the physiopsychological reactions to the stress of parents of children with cancer in China. Eighty-nine families who had a child with cancer were recruited into four groups: group A, the child was newly diagnosed with cancer; group B, the child was under treatment for cancer; group C, the child had relapsed and was not expected to live; and group D, the child with cancer had already died. Interviews were conducted in Cantonese. The semistructured interviews were conducted in the hospital or in the home. Specific questions were asked regarding colds, headaches, dizziness, loss of appetite, and weight loss. The Parent Stress Rating Scale (PSRS) and the Parent's Support Scale (PSS) were administered. Results indicated that parents most often reported symptoms of loss of appetite, weight loss, and sleeping difficulty, followed by headache, dizziness, and, least of all, colds. Mothers experience more symptoms than fathers. Only in the newly diagnosed group and the under treatment group did the fathers report having had more colds than the mothers. Parents rated the child's death as having caused the highest stress, followed by the terminal stage and the diagnosis. Spouses received the highest rating for being supportive, across all groups.