Mothers' adaptation to childhood cancer: an analysis of family process stressors, family system resources, parental coping patterns, and parental adaptation among mothers of children with cancer

Family process stressors, family system resources, parental coping patterns, and parental adaptation were assessed for 58 mothers who had a child with cancer who was being seen at selected pediatric hematology-oncology centers in two Southeastern states. The respondents completed a self-report questionnaire containing the Coping and Health Inventory for Parents, five subscales from the Family Environment Scale, and items asking demographic questions. The dependent measure was the Parental Adaptation Assessment, a modified version of the Spinetta Family Adjustment Scale, developed for this study to measure parents’ perception of their adaptation to the experience of caring for a child with cancer. The criteria for subject inclusion in the study were: (a) two parents living in the home; and, (b) the child’s cancer diagnosis was to have occurred not less than 3 months and not more than 4 years prior to data collection. The Double ABCX Model of Family Adaptation was used as the basis for variable selection. Frequency distributions, correlations between the 11 independent variables and mother’s adaptation, and a stepwise regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Two family process stressors (conflict and control) and two family system resources (cohesion and expressiveness) were significantly (p < .05) correlated with mother’s adaptation. The regression analyses showed that two variables (cohesion and mother’s age) explained 34% of the variance in mother’s adaptation. Results show family cohesion and mother’s age to be the only significant predictors of her perceived adaptation. Family process stressors and parental coping patterns failed to account for any significant variance in mother’s adaptation. Implications for family stress theory, psychosocial oncology research, and family therapy practice are discussed. Recommendations for further research are suggested.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Family and Child Development

Department dc:contributor.department

Family and Child Development

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1989

Author dc:creator

• Huber, James Richard

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Sporakowski, Michael J.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Blieszner, Rosemary
• Protinsky, Howard O.
• Cross, Lawrence H.
• Keller, James F.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/53842

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/53842