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Stress-mediated quality of life outcomes in parents of childhood cancer and brain tumor survivors: a case–control study

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Abstract

Purpose

To determine if caring for a child with cancer or a brain tumor affects parental health and mental health and if and to what extent stress mediates the relationship between case status and parental quality of life.

Methods

In person interviewer-assisted surveys were administered to 74 case dyads (children diagnosed with cancer or a brain tumor and their parents) and 129 control dyads (children without health problems and their parents from a community sample) to assess health-related quality of life and perceived levels of stress.

Results

Parents of children with cancer or a brain tumor had significantly worse health-related quality of life, including worse overall mental health. Overall physical health was no different between cases and controls. Staged multivariate analysis revealed that worse health-related quality of life is completely mediated by perceived stress in these parents.

Conclusions

The experience of caring for a child with cancer is not in itself related to poor quality of life, but is related to an increased level of stress that may adversely impact parental mental health and quality of life.

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Abbreviations

QOL:

Quality of life

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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. 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, and the UW Care for Kids Foundation.

Conflict of interest statement

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, WI, USA

    Whitney P. Witt, Kristin Litzelman, Lauren E. Wisk, Hilary A. Spear, Nataliya Levin & Carissa A. Gottlieb

  2. American Family Children’s Hospital, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health, K4/444 CSC, Box 4108, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53792-4108, USA

    Kris Catrine

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  1. Whitney P. Witt
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  2. Kristin Litzelman
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  3. Lauren E. Wisk
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  6. Nataliya Levin
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  7. Carissa A. Gottlieb
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Correspondence to Whitney P. Witt.

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Witt, W.P., Litzelman, K., Wisk, L.E. et al. Stress-mediated quality of life outcomes in parents of childhood cancer and brain tumor survivors: a case–control study. Qual Life Res 19, 995–1005 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-010-9666-9

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