Parental adjustment, coping styles and locus of control in mothers of children with cancer

Objectives: Despite recent advances in its treatment, the diagnosis of cancer in one of their children is still a major challenge for the parents. This study was conducted to determine the depression and anxiety (state and trait) levels, coping styles with stress and locus of control of mothers of children with cancer followed up at a university hospital.

Methods: Twenty-five mothers of children, aged between 0 and 18 years and hospitalized in the Istanbul University Oncology Institute Pediatric Oncology Department, filled in the socio-demographic data form, Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), Spielberg’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), COPE Inventory and Rotter’s internal-external locus of control Scale.

Results: The mean age of the mothers was 38.13±5.95 years and around half of them graduated from the primary school. The vast majority was housewife and roughly a third (32%) of the mothers declared that they had no other persons to help them caring their children. The mean scores of BDI, STAI-state and trait anxiety scales were 17.36±11.52, 49.80±11.76 and 50.92±8.80, respectively and there was no correlation between these scores. Nearly half (45.6%) of the mothers’ BDI scores were above the cut-off (≥17 points). The most common way of coping style was reported as religious coping (mean score=15.08±1.78), which was followed by social support, positive interpretation, planning, active coping and acceptance. Active coping correlated with lower scores in the STAI-trait anxiety, and positive interpretation with lower BDI scores (for both relations p=0.04, r=0.41). The mean score of the locus of control scale was 10.29±2.88. The rate of internal control was reported in 58% and external focus of control in 42%, and there was no correlation between the locus of control scores of mothers and anxiety or depression scores.

Conclusions: The mothers of children with cancer have high levels of anxiety and depression. Religious coping was by far the most commonly used type for copying with stress and most of the mothers reported internal locus of control. Screening the parents for the symptoms of anxiety and depression and supplying psychiatric support for the relevant cases seems important.