Coping and Attachment in Pediatric Oncohematology (CopAt)

Institute of Hospitalization and Scientific Care (IRCCS)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Coping Behavior; Relationship, Parent Child; Pediatric Cancer

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06858163

CopAt

Details and patient eligibility

About

Cancer can be a traumatic and particularly salient experience in a person's history. The ways in which the pediatric patient copes with it depend on the interaction of several factors present in his or her life context, primarily the relationship that is established between parent and child.

Despite the paucity of studies in the literature in this regard, it would seem that parental coping is predictive of child coping. Coping strategies represent the ways in which people try to manage traumatic events or stressful everyday situations.

Currently, the literature identifies two main categories of coping strategies: emotion-oriented and problem-oriented strategies. The former are aimed on reducing stress-induced unpleasant emotions (e.g., problem avoidance, positive reappraisal, etc.); the latter, on the other hand, focus on stress dissolution/alteration (e.g., problem identification and resolution, stress cause research). Some studies, previously conducted in oncology, show that emotion-focused coping strategies are associated with better adaptation immediately after diagnosis, but their positive influence tends to weaken over time; problem-focused coping strategies are more correlated with poor adaptation immediately after diagnosis, but in the later stages of treatment.

The clinical experience with patients in the Pediatric Oncohematology Department brings out the need to develop and structure a psychological assessment model, in order to ensure a more effective care of the family units followed.

The research aims, through a single administration of psychological tests, to investigate the role of attachment and some variables (age, gender, stage of treatment, stage of the disease, social support, resilience, ability to adapt to environmental stimuli, emotional state of of caregivers) on the coping strategies implemented by the parents of patients and the patients themselves, in order to differentiate the types of psychological intervention, to try to reduce psychological distress and increase levels of mental well-being.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 8 to 17 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Parents Inclusion Criteria:

• parents of both sexes
• age of son/daughter between 8 and 17 years old (included)
• son/daughter being treated at the Pediatric Oncohematology departments involved in the research (Day Hospital and hospitalization)
• good understanding of the Italian language

Parents Exclusion Criteria:

● son/daughter in off-therapy

Patients Inclusion Criteria:

• age between 8 and 17 years old (included), undergoing treatment at the Pediatric Oncohematology departments (Day Hospital and hospitalization)
• parents enrolled in the study
• good understanding of the Italian language

Patients Exclusion Criteria:

● patients in off-therapy

Trial design

60 participants in 2 patient groups

Parents cohort

Description:

Father and mother of each patient in care at the Pediatric Oncohematology department and enrolled in the study. The correlation between attachment dynamics and emotional care resources related to coping strategies will be assessed. Administration of psychological tests will take place one time after the enrollment in the study.

Patients cohort

Description:

Pediatric patients in care at the Pediatric Oncohematology department. Administration of psychological tests will take place one time after the enrollment in the study.