Evaluation of Anger, Externalizing Problems, Features of Mother-Child Relationship And Maternal Mood and Stress Behavior of Pediatric Leukemia Patients

Objective:

The aim of the present study was to investigate externalizing problems and maternal mood properties of mothers as well as determining features of mother- child relationship at the beginning and during the course of the treatment of children diagnosed with leukemia.

Method:

27 children that were diagnosed as leukemia and their mothers who were being followed up in Uludag University Medical School Hospital Pediatric Hematology Unit were included in the study.. Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, Turgay DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Disruptive Behavioral Disorders Screening and Rating Scale, Adolescent Family Process Scale were applied to the mother while Trait and State Anger Scale was applied to the children in the study in the beginning and at 6/8th month of treatment.

Results:

It was observed that mothers' moods were negatively affected and they went through a lot of stress during the course of treatment while children had signifi cant increase in trait and controlled anger as well as externalizing problems. During the course of treatment, mother- child relationship properties altered in the sense that as closeness, close communication and peer acceptance dimensions decreased, support, confl ict and monitoring dimensions increased. While there was an inclining relationship between the increase in mother's depression and anxiety with stress scores na increase in externalizing problems while declining relationship in closeness and close communication domains as well as an inclining relation within confl ict, monitoring and support domains, trait anger and anger control scores were also found related to the increase in mother's mood scores.

Conclusions:

A continuous aid involving psychiatric services seems as a management tool for overcoming physical and mental burden caused by the treatment of leukemia. Along with education that increases the information levels as well as adjustment to the parents, the child and even the sibling(s), carrying out psychiatric evaluations, interventions and referrals also is of vital importance.