Psychosocial adjustment of siblings of children with cancer.

摘要

The objective of this study was to assess the nature and incidence of psychosocial consequences of pediatric cancer among school aged siblings of cancer patients in the remission phase. Comparisons between the siblings and the cancer patients and between the focal siblings and a matched, healthy control group were assessed on multiple standardized measures of personal adjustment, self concept, social withdrawal, somatization, depression, internalization, and externalization. Information was obtained directly from the siblings, patients, parents and teachers. It was hypothesized that the variables: sex, age, birth spacing, birth order, sibling age at the time of diagnosis, and two family variables: adaptability and cohesion would account for the differential effects on sibling adjustment.;A total of 10 cancer patients and their siblings ranging in age from 7 to 12 years old were recruited from three New Jersey pediatric oncology centers. The 10 healthy controls were matched for sex, age, sibship, race, and socioeconomic status. Siblings of the pediatric cancer patients were found to be significantly more withdrawn than the control group on the CBCL. A positive correlation between focal sibling withdrawal scores and those of the patients was found. Significant differences between the groups on other measures were not demonstrated. These findings suggest that siblings of pediatric cancer patients may manifest subtle symptoms of withdrawal that may not be readily evident to their parents and teachers. The need for research with larger samples is necessary to gain a greater understanding of the sibling experience and cancer's impact on sibling adjustment. For future research, the need for multi-site, multi-disciplinary, collaborative studies to address the obstacles of obtaining adequate sample sizes, access to diverse populations and to facilitate integration of research and intervention is recommended.