Functioning of family system in pediatric oncology during treatment phase

The study focuses on parents’ psychological implications caused by the treatment of their childrensuffering from tumor. It investigates some specific mothers’ resource factors such as theirstrategies of coping and the perception of their own family functioning in terms of cohesion andadaptability.The study was performed with 34 mothers of children suffering from acute lymphoblasticleukemia(ALL),duringthetreatmentphase.TheusedtoolsweretheCopingOrientationtoProblemExperienced—New Italian Version, to investigate coping strategies, and the Family Adaptabilityand Cohesion Evaluation Scale-III, to analyze both real and ideal perception of familyfunctioning.The data related to coping, show how the involved mothers tend to mainly use the strategies ofpositive aptitude, orientation toward problem and social support ( F= 99.88, d f= 4, P< .01). Thefamily functioning, in terms of adaptabilit y, is described as chaotic relating to both the real (χ2= 13.29,d f=3, P=.004)andideal(χ2=11.52,d f=2, P=.003)family,whereasintermsof cohesion,itisperceivedaschieflydisengagedintherealfamily(χ2=12.3,d f=3, P=.006)andasenmeshedin the ideal one (χ2= 12.58, d f= 3, P= .006).Statistically positive correlations were only detected between adaptability and avoidance ( r= 0.49, P< .01); adaptability and orientation toward problem (r= 0.36, P< .05); and adaptabilityand transcendent orientation ( r=−0.04, P< .05).Despitethecriticalsituation,themothershaveshownoptimisticview,careforproblemmanagementandcapabilitytoaskforhelp.Thesecopingstrategiesallowthetherapeuticalliancebetweenfamilies and health care workers, so useful for the quality of childcarThe study focuses on parents’ psychological implications caused by the treatment of their childrensuffering from tumor. It investigates some specific mothers’ resource factors such as theirstrategies of coping and the perception of their own family functioning in terms of cohesion andadaptability.The study was performed with 34 mothers of children suffering from acute lymphoblasticleukemia(ALL),duringthetreatmentphase.TheusedtoolsweretheCopingOrientationtoProblemExperienced—New Italian Version, to investigate coping strategies, and the Family Adaptabilityand Cohesion Evaluation Scale-III, to analyze both real and ideal perception of familyfunctioning.The data related to coping, show how the involved mothers tend to mainly use the strategies ofpositive aptitude, orientation toward problem and social support ( F= 99.88, d f= 4, P< .01). Thefamily functioning, in terms of adaptabilit y, is described as chaotic relating to both the real (χ2= 13.29,d f=3, P=.004)andideal(χ2=11.52,d f=2, P=.003)family,whereasintermsof cohesion,itisperceivedaschieflydisengagedintherealfamily(χ2=12.3,d f=3, P=.006)andasenmeshedin the ideal one (χ2= 12.58, d f= 3, P= .006).Statistically positive correlations were only detected between adaptability and avoidance ( r= 0.49, P< .01); adaptability and orientation toward problem (r= 0.36, P< .05); and adaptabilityand transcendent orientation ( r=−0.04, P< .05).Despitethecriticalsituation,themothershaveshownoptimisticview,careforproblemmanagementandcapabilitytoaskforhelp.Thesecopingstrategiesallowthetherapeuticalliancebetweenfamilies and health care workers, so useful for the quality of childcare