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The role of depression and emotion regulation on parenting stress in a sample of mothers with cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the current study was to investigate if and to what extent depression and emotional regulation strategies (namely, cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) might lead to parenting stress in a sample of mothers with cancer and in a sample of healthy mothers.

Methods

A sample of mothers with cancer (clinical group; n = 64) and a sample of healthy mothers (control group; n = 80) were administered self-report questionnaires investigating parenting stress (the parenting stress index), depressive symptoms (the Zung depression self-rating scale) and emotion regulation strategies (the emotion regulation questionnaire).

Results

Depressive levels represented the most significant predictor of maternal parenting stress in both groups (p < .001). In addition, cognitive reappraisal (p < .05) but not expressive suppression significantly predicted parenting stress exclusively in the group of mothers with cancer. Finally, cognitive reappraisal was negatively and significantly associated with time since cancer diagnosis to survey.

Conclusions

This study highlights that depressive levels and cognitive reappraisal may play a significant role in parenting stress. The systematic assessment of these variables in women with an oncological diagnosis might help mental health professionals to identify those mothers at risk of developing higher levels of parenting stress ensuring adequate support and preventing negative effects on the parent–child relationship.

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Abbreviations

PS :

parenting stress

PSI/SF :

Parenting Stress Index Short Form

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Di Silvestre of the Santo Spirito Hospital (Pescara, Italy), Dr. Caloro of the Antonio Perrino Hospital (Brindisi, Italy) and Dr. Carapezza of the Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital (Catania, Italy) and all the mothers who agreed to participate to the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological, Health and Territory Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University «G. d’Annunzio», via deiVestini, 31, 66100, Chieti, Italy

    Alessandra Babore, Sonia M. Bramanti, Lucia Lombardi, Liborio Stuppia, Carmen Trumello, Ivana Antonucci & Alessandra Cavallo

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  1. Alessandra Babore
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  2. Sonia M. Bramanti
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  3. Lucia Lombardi
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Correspondence to Alessandra Babore.

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Babore, A., Bramanti, S.M., Lombardi, L. et al. The role of depression and emotion regulation on parenting stress in a sample of mothers with cancer. Support Care Cancer 27, 1271–1277 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4611-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4611-5

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