ABSTRACT
Although traumatic responses in children are well-documented following exposure to a variety of life-threatening circumstances, little is known about the subjective appraisal of children during the acute exposure. This paper presents both descriptive and quantifiable data regarding the responses of children during the acute phase of hospitalization for bone marrow transplantation, an extremely aggressive treatment for otherwise fatal illnesses. Children were able to appreciate the life-threatening nature of their illness and its treatment. They reported few symptoms consistent with a traumatic stress response. These findings are in contrast to recent data on survivors of childhood cancer, who generally report that they did not understand that their illness posed a threat to their lives, while reporting moderate levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms up to 10 years after completion of successful treatment. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Subject(s)
Bone Marrow Transplantation/adverse effects , Child, Hospitalized/psychology , Life Change Events , Neoplasms/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology , Adolescent , Age Factors , Bone Marrow Transplantation/psychology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Human Development , Humans , Male , Neoplasms/therapy , Time Factors , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
This study used a self-report measure of posttraumatic stress (the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index) to evaluate 64 pediatric leukemia survivors age 7-19 years and their parents (mothers n = 63, fathers n = 42). Based upon normative data for the Reaction Index, 12.5% of the survivors, 39.7% of the mothers, and 33.3% of the fathers reported symptoms consistent with a severe level of posttraumatic stress. The data indicate that a substantial subset of pediatric cancer survivors and their parents experience severe symptoms that can be understood within a posttraumatic stress model. The data are discussed with regard to pediatric follow-up care for cancer survivors, as well as in terms of preventive steps that could be taken to lessen the traumatic aspects of pediatric cancer treatment.
Subject(s)
Leukemia/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/etiology , Survival , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Severity of Illness Index , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Effective assessment and treatment of battered women involves a recognition of the many individual and systemic variables involved. This chapter summarizes the major theoretical positions and research findings and addresses their implications for treatment.