Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2009 Dec;17(12):1435-43.
doi: 10.1007/s00520-009-0685-4. Epub 2009 Jul 2.

Parental stress before, during, and after pediatric stem cell transplantation: a review article

C M J Vrijmoet-Wiersma  1 , R M Egeler, H M Koopman, A Lindahl Norberg, M A Grootenhuis
Affiliations
Review

Parental stress before, during, and after pediatric stem cell transplantation: a review article

C M J Vrijmoet-Wiersma et al. Support Care Cancer. 2009 Dec.

Abstract

Goals of work: Pediatric stem cell transplantation (SCT) is a stressful treatment for children with relapsed or high-risk malignancies, immune deficiencies and certain blood diseases. Parents of children undergoing SCT can experience ongoing stress related to the SCT period. The aim of this article was to present a literature review of articles on parental distress and adaptation before, during, and after SCT and to identify risk and protective factors.

Materials and methods: The review was conducted systematically by using PubMed, Web of Science, PsychInfo, and Picarta databases. Eighteen articles met our inclusion criteria: publishing date between January 1, 1990 and January 1, 2009; studies concerning parents of children undergoing SCT; studies examining the psychological adjustment and/or stress reactions of parents as primary outcomes and studies available in English.

Main results: Highest levels of parental stress are reported in the period preceding SCT and during the acute phase. Stress levels decrease steadily after discharge in most parents. However, in a subgroup of parents, stress levels still remain elevated post-SCT. Parents most at risk in the longer term display highest levels of stress during the acute phase of the SCT.

Conclusions: Psychosocial assessment before SCT, during the acute phase and in the longer term, is necessary to identify parents in need for support and follow-up care.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Barrera M, Boyd-Pringle LA, Sumbler K, Saunders F. Quality of life and behavioral adjustment after pediatric bone marrow transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2000;26(4):427–435. doi: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1702527. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Clarke SA, Eiser C, Skinner R. Health-related quality of life in survivers of BMT for paediatric malignancy: a systematic review of the literature. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2008;42:73–80. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2008.156. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dermatis H, Lesko LM. Psychological distress in parents consenting to child’s bone marrow transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant. 1990;6(6):411–417. - PubMed
    1. Duell T, van Lint MT, Ljungman P, Tichelli A, Socie G, Apperley JF, et al. Health and functional status of long-term survivors of bone marrow transplantation. Ann Intern Med. 1997;126(3):184–192. - PubMed
    1. DuHamel KN, Manne S, Nereo N, Ostroff J, Martini R, Parsons S, et al. Cognitive processing among mothers of children undergoing bone marrow/stem cell transplantation. Psychosom Med. 2004;66(1):92–103. doi: 10.1097/01.PSY.0000108104.23738.04. - DOI - PubMed