Coping with Pediatric Leukemia: A Two-Year Follow-Up

Abstract

Sixty families of children with acute leukemia who participated in a prospective study of family coping were assessed at 2 years postdiagnosis. A wide variety of coping behaviors was found. According to ratings made by physicians, nurses, psychosocial staff, and themselves, most of the families were coping well. Parents' scores on the Summed Coping Scale of the CPI were generally within the normal range. Variables which correlated significantly with coping at 2 years postdiagnosis were quality of the marital and family relationship, previous coping with the illness, coping of other family members, adequacy of support system, lack of additional stresses, open communication within the family, and an attitude of living in the present. Although it had been effective for mothers in earlier phases of the illness, psychosocial intervention was not significantly related to coping at this time, when most of the children were in remission and doing well medically.