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. 2022 Jun 6;29(6):4104-4116.
doi: 10.3390/curroncol29060327.

The Psychological Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Adults Treated for Childhood Cancer

Asmaa Janah  1 , Nadia Haddy  2   3   4 , Charlotte Demoor-Goldschmidt  2   3   4   5   6 , Nicolas Bougas  1 , Jacqueline Clavel  7   8   9 , Claire Poulalhon  7   8   9 , Brigitte Lacour  7   8   9 , Vincent Souchard  2   3   4 , Angela Jackson  2   3   4 , Leonie Casagranda  10   11 , Claire Berger  10   11 , Rodrigue Allodji  2   3   4 , Chiraz El Fayech  3   4   12 , Brice Fresneau  3   4   12 , Florent De Vathaire  2   3   4 , Agnes Dumas  1
Affiliations

The Psychological Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Adults Treated for Childhood Cancer

Asmaa Janah et al. Curr Oncol. .

Abstract

Background: Compared with the general population, childhood cancer survivors (CCS) could be at greater risk of psychological distress following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: This cross-sectional study assessed the psychological consequences of COVID-19 on the mental health of CCS.

Design and participants: In December 2020, we interviewed through an online self-report questionnaire, 580 5-year CCS participating in the French Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (FCCSS) cohort.

Methods: We first compared the mental health score of CCS with that observed in the French general population of the same age and gender. Subsequently, we studied predictors of the mental health score of CCS.

Results: External comparisons revealed that the mental health score of CCS was similar to that of the general population. Among CCS, almost 42% stated that their psychological state had been worse during the lockdown. Predictors of poorer mental health included, among others, female gender, reporting a change in the occupational situation, having a relative who had been hospitalized or had died following COVID-19, and a greater perceived infection risk.

Interpretation and implications: Given the pre-existing vulnerability of some CCS to mental distress, the additional psychological consequences of COVID-19 in vulnerable survivors should receive attention from health care providers.

Keywords: COVID-19; childhood cancer survivors; consequences; lockdown; mental health; psychosocial; survivorship.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5) score by cancer type.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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