Individual and Dyadic Coping and Fear of Progression in Mothers and Fathers of Children with Hematologic Cancer

• Published in: Family process 2020-09, Vol.59 (3), p.1225-1242
• Main Authors: Clever, Katharina, Schepper, Florian, Maier, Stephan, Christiansen, Holger, Martini, Julia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: afrontamiento diádico; Blood cancer; Cancer; Children; Coping strategies; Couples; cáncer hematológico; Dyadic Coping; Dyads; Fathers; Fear & phobias; Fear of Progression; Hematologic Cancer; Interdependence; Measures; Medical diagnosis; miedo a la progresión; Mothers; padres; Parents; Parents & parenting; Pediatric; Pediatrics; pediatría; Psychosocial factors; Psychosocial intervention; Recurrence; recurrencia; Rehabilitation; Social support; 二元应对策略; 儿科; 复现; 家长; 对病情变化的恐惧; 血液科癌症
• ISSN: 0014-7370; 1545-5300
• DOI: 10.1111/famp.12480

This study investigated the association of individual and dyadic coping strategies with fear of progression (FoP) in mothers and fathers of children with hematologic cancer. Parental couples (N = 44) whose children had been diagnosed with hematologic cancer were recruited at a university hospital and a rehabilitation clinic in Germany between 03/2017 and 08/2017. Data included parents' self‐report on FoP (Fear of Progression Questionnaire—parent version, FoP‐Q‐SF/PR), individual coping (Coping Health Inventory for Parents, CHIP‐D), and dyadic coping (Dyadic Coping Inventory, DCI). Statistical analyses were carried out for mothers and fathers individually as well as for parental couples using dyadic data analyses (e.g., actor‐partner interdependence model, APIM). Individual and dyadic coping strategies were significantly correlated with FoP in mothers, but not in fathers. Fathers' evaluation of the couple's dyadic coping significantly predicted mothers' FoP. The more frequent use of familial integration (CHIP‐D FAM) and maintaining social support (CHIP‐D SUP) as well as a better evaluation of their partners' dyadic coping was significantly associated with lower FoP in mothers. Differences in individual and dyadic coping in parental couples were not associated with FoP. Individual and dyadic coping strategies should be addressed in the psychosocial care of mothers and fathers of children with hematologic cancer. Study results support the benefits of involving fathers in psychosocial interventions, for example, in couple‐based interventions that acknowledge interpersonal effects of coping on FoP. Future research should further explore coping strategies applied by fathers of children with hematologic cancer for the regulation of FoP. Este estudio investigó la asociación de estrategias de afrontamiento individual y diádico con el miedo a la progresión (FoP por sus siglas en inglés) en madres y padres de niños con cáncer hematológico. Se reclutaron parejas de padres (N = 44) cuyos niños recibieron una diagnosis de cáncer hematológico en un hospital universitario y una clínica de rehabilitación en Alemania entre marzo de 2017 y agosto de 2017. Los datos incluyeron autoinformes de los padres sobre FoP (Cuestionario de miedo a la progresión, versión para padres, FoP‐Q‐SF/PR), afrontamiento individual (Inventario de salud de afrontamiento para padres, CHIP‐D) y afrontamiento diádico (Inventario de afrontamiento diádico, DCI). Se realizaron análisis estadísticos para