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. 2018 May;65(5):e26951.
doi: 10.1002/pbc.26951. Epub 2018 Jan 9.

Problem-solving skills, parent-adolescent communication, dyadic functioning, and distress among adolescents with cancer

Adrienne Viola  1 , Alison Taggi-Pinto  2 , Olle Jane Z Sahler  3 , Melissa A Alderfer  2   4 , Katie A Devine  1
Affiliations

Problem-solving skills, parent-adolescent communication, dyadic functioning, and distress among adolescents with cancer

Adrienne Viola et al. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2018 May.

Abstract

Some adolescents with cancer report distress and unmet needs. Guided by the disability-stress-coping model, we evaluated associations among problem-solving skills, parent-adolescent cancer-related communication, parent-adolescent dyadic functioning, and distress in adolescents with cancer. Thirty-nine adolescent-parent dyads completed measures of these constructs. Adolescents were 14-20 years old on treatment or within 1 year of completing treatment. Better problem-solving skills were correlated with lower adolescent distress (r = -0.70, P < 0.001). Adolescent-reported cancer-related communication problems and dyadic functioning were not significantly related to adolescent distress (rs < 0.18). Future work should examine use of problem-solving interventions to decrease distress for adolescents with cancer.

Keywords: adolescents; cancer-related communication; dyadic function; positive coping; problem solving.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest

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