Psychosocial functioning of young adolescent and adult survivors of childhood cancer

Abstract

Goals of work: The present study aimed to assess the psychosocial well-being of Greek adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer and, in particular, self-esteem, anxiety, coping strategies, and social functioning.

Patients and methods: The sample comprised 103 Greek childhood cancer survivors and 135 healthy controls. The Battle Culture-free Self-esteem Inventory (BCSEI), the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Lazarus and Folkman Ways of Coping, and 36-item short-form instruments were used along with The Questionnaire for the Quality of Life.

Main results: Survivors scored higher than controls on all STAI subscales, but on State, the difference was statistically significant only for female adults, while on the Trait subscale, for the entire group. Survivors scored lower on Personal and higher on Lie subscale of BCSEI, by comparison to controls. When coping with stressful events, the use of self-blame strategies and wishful thinking were more frequent among controls, while distancing strategies more common among survivors.

Conclusions: The long-term psychological functioning of Greek survivors of childhood cancer is satisfactory, with emotional difficulties, such as increased anxiety and lower self-esteem, receding over time. Survivors experience personal growth and mature through trauma as they develop a positive view of the impact that the cancer experience has upon their life.