Brief report: does posttraumatic stress apply to siblings of childhood cancer survivors?

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether adolescent siblings of childhood cancer survivors experience posttraumatic stress (PTS). METHODS Participants included 78 adolescent siblings of adolescent cancer survivors who completed self-report measures of anxiety, PTS, and perceptions of the cancer experience. RESULTS Nearly half (49%) of our sample reported mild PTS and 32% indicated moderate to severe levels. One fourth of siblings thought their brother/sister would die during treatment; over half found the cancer experience scary and difficult. These perceptions were related to PTS. Siblings reported more PTS symptoms than a reference group of nonaffected teens but had similar levels of general anxiety. CONCLUSIONS Levels of PTS are elevated for siblings of childhood cancer survivors. Thus, PTS may be a useful model for understanding siblings' long-term reactions to cancer. Future research and clinical efforts should consider the needs of siblings of childhood cancer survivors in a family context.