Parenting Stress and Information Needs at the End of Treatment after Complete Remission of Leukemia

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study has attempted to comparatively analyze the parenting stress that parents of a child with leukemia and their information needs at the end of treatment after complete remission (CR) of leukemia. METHODS: For data collection, a structured questionnaire survey on parenting stress and information needs was conducted using parents of children with leukemia visiting the Blood & Marrow Transplantation Center at C University Hospital in Seoul from August to December 2011. A total of 100 parents were examined. RESULTS: The parents of children under treatment after CR had greater parenting stress than parents of children whose treatment was finished. The parents of children whose treatment was finished had greater information needs than the parents of children whose treatment was ongoing. The differences had no statistical significance. In both groups, information needs about patients' growth development and school adjustment was high. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that it is necessary to add information about daily life management, child's growth development, sociopsychological adaptation, school adjustment, and support of family, to the current symptom care-centered education program.