Post-traumatic stress in parents of children with leukemia: Methodological and clinical considerations

The family system is a particularly vital component of the ecosystem encompassing children with chronic illnesses. When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family system and often the broader social context are affected, and the balance that existed previously is disrupted. Given the impact of parental presence on a child’s emotional functioning, the parent/caregiver variable is a critical factor when a child is facing a life-threatening illness and the treatment cycles it entail. Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), defined as intrusive memories about the child’s diagnosis or other salient moments during treatment cycles, intense physiological arousal to reminders of the cancer, and avoiding thoughts about cancer and its treatment, are closely linked to the cancer experience and are common experiences in parents of children with cancer both during active treatment cycles and for many years to come. Methodological aspects, such as theoretical models and instruments to predict and assess posttraumatic stress symptomatology, will be outlined, and intervention strategies that may effectively help parents at high risk of developing and of continuing to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will be examined with particular attention.