Adjustment of children and their mothers with breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE To examine the adjustment of children of mothers with both active and nonactive breast cancers in comparison with a healthy community control sample. METHODS Participants included 80 mothers and their children. Half of the mothers had breast cancer or a history of breast cancer. Children in both groups ranged in age from 8 to 19 years. Assessments included measures of maternal stressors and resources, maternal and child adjustment and posttraumatic stress, and maternal coping and illness uncertainty reported by both mothers and their children. RESULTS Few differences were found between the groups, although there was a trend for girls of mothers with breast cancer to have a higher frequency of depressive symptoms. Children of mothers who perceived support from friends and family had fewer depressive symptoms, after we controlled for child gender. CONCLUSIONS The social support perceived by mothers with breast cancer may serve as a protective factor for their children's psychological adjustment.