Posttraumatic stress symptoms in young people with cancer and their siblings

D'Urso, Anita (2014) Posttraumatic stress symptoms in young people with cancer and their siblings. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

PDF Restricted to Repository staff only

Abstract

Background: Children with cancer and their families are frequently
confronted with physical and psychosocial late effects resulting from cancer. In
recent years, this has been expanded to include posttraumatic stress symptoms
(PTSS). However, to date very little research has been completed in the UK to
investigate these symptoms. Furthermore, previous research has been limited by lack
of adherence to mainstream theoretical accounts of posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). Therefore, the current study examined rates of PTSS in children with cancer
and their siblings. Secondly, it investigated whether aspects of the Ehlers and Clark
(2000) model of PTSD could provide a useful framework for understanding the
phenomenon in this population.
Methods: A cross-sectional between-groups design was employed to examine
the differences in levels of PTSS between children who had been diagnosed with
and/or treated for cancer (n = 34) and siblings (n = 26). Participants were aged
between 8-18 years. Self-report measures of PTSS, maladaptive appraisals, traumacentred
identity, thought suppression, perceived social support and family functioning
were completed.
Results: There were no significant differences between children with cancer
and siblings on measures of PTSS. In support of the hypotheses, maladaptive
appraisals, thought suppression and trauma-centred identity were found to
significantly correlate with levels of PTSS for both children with cancer and siblings.
Perceived social support was found to be significantly correlated with levels of PTSS
for siblings only. Contrary to the hypothesis, family functioning was not related to
PTSS for either the patient or sibling group.
Conclusions: Results failed to evidence differences in levels of PTSS between
children with cancer and their siblings. However, provisional support was found for
aspects of the Ehlers and Clark (2000) cognitive model of PTSD in explaining PTSS
for the current population.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Jackie Webb
Date Deposited:	03 Nov 2014 15:34
Last Modified:	27 Nov 2014 09:11
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/50725
DOI:

Actions (login required)

View Item