Exploring Psychological Needs and Burden of Care in Parents of Children with Hemato-Oncological Diseases

Caring for a child with an acute/life threatening disease exposes parents to multiple stressors and challenges, resulting in physical psychological burden. Parents experience many health-related issues worries that often remain underestimated. The aims of the study were: (a) explore associations between needs/disease-related burden children leukemia or Hodgkin’s disease; (b) estimate predictors parents’ using stepwise linear regression analysis. Children (N = 33) followed active therapy protocol (48.5%), they were off (51.5%). Forty-four completed surveys on caregiver levels needs cope child’s illness. Parental factors impacting (personal resources, loss control, depression) quality life (QoL) also assessed. Among needs, information about illness/resources most urgently expressed by parents, reassurance against fears development future well-being. reported severe (27.3%) moderate (22.7%) burden, higher percentage caregivers off-therapy phase (18.2%) than active-therapy (9.1%). decreased QoL parent’s control predicted implications supportive interventions aimed at responding parental preventing are discussed.