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Parental depressive symptoms and childhood cancer: the importance of financial difficulties

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Abstract

Purpose

Research suggests a relationship between caring for a child with cancer and psychological distress in caregivers. Less evident is the role which financial difficulties might play in this relationship. We sought to determine if caring for a child with cancer was related to clinically relevant depressive symptoms among parents, whether or not financial difficulties mediated this relationship, and if financial difficulties were independently associated with symptoms of depression among parents of children with cancer.

Methods

Data are from 215 parents of children diagnosed with cancer or brain tumors (n = 75) and a comparison group of parents of healthy children (n = 140). Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess the factors associated with reporting clinically relevant depressive symptoms.

Results

Caring for a child with cancer was associated with increased odds of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in parents (OR = 4.93; 95 % CI 1.97–12.30), controlling for covariates. The mediating effect of financial burden on this relationship was not statistically significant. However, among parents of children with cancer, negative financial life events increased the likelihood of reporting symptoms of depression (OR = 4.89; 95 % CI 1.26–18.96).

Conclusions

Caring for a child with cancer was associated with depressive symptoms for parents. Financial difficulties were the strongest correlate of these symptoms among parents of children with cancer. Our results suggest that it may not only be the burden of caring for the child with cancer but also the associated financial difficulties that contribute to a higher likelihood of depressive symptoms in parents.

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Notes

  1. The test for mediation was significant before adding covariates (p = 0.007) suggesting that we may have been underpowered to detect the effect.

  2. This finding did reach statistical significance (p = 0.023). However, the upper end of the confidence interval is 1.00 by rounding to the second decimal place.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the families who participated in this study, as well as the clinical and research staff who were instrumental to study recruitment. We would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers whose comments helped strengthen this manuscript. This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD049533, W. P. Witt, Principal Investigator and Waisman Center P30 HD03352, M. M. Seltzer, Principal Investigator), UW Comprehensive Cancer Center Investigator Initiated Trial (W. P. Witt, Principal Investigator), an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality T-32 training grant (HS00083, M. Smith, Principal Investigator), and the UW Care for Kids Foundation (W. P. Witt, Principal Investigator).

Conflicts of interest

None of the authors has a conflict of interest with this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 610 North Walnut Street, WARF Office 503, Madison, WI, 53726, USA

    Paul D. Creswell, Lauren E. Wisk, Kristin Litzelman, Adelyn Allchin & Whitney P. Witt

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  1. Paul D. Creswell
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Correspondence to Whitney P. Witt.

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Creswell, P.D., Wisk, L.E., Litzelman, K. et al. Parental depressive symptoms and childhood cancer: the importance of financial difficulties. Support Care Cancer 22, 503–511 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-2003-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-2003-4

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