Profiles of Posttraumatic Growth and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Childhood Cancer Survivors.

The experience of childhood cancer (CC) could be a traumatic event that produces long-term emotional responses such as posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in survivors. The relationship between both PTSS and PTG is not clear in CC survivors. Assessing challenges to core beliefs and rumination could give information regarding the different paths that lead to traumatic responses. Thus, this study aims to identify childhood cancer survivors' profiles from PTSS and PTG measures and to examine the pathways of relationships between PTSS and PTG, rumination, and challenge to core belief. Sixty-two CC survivors completed surveys on their childhood cancer experience, PTSS, PTG, challenge to core beliefs, and rumination. High PTG scores among childhood cancer survivors (Cluster 1), High PTSS scores among childhood cancer survivors (Cluster 2), and Childhood cancer survivors without changes (Cluster 3). Network analysis found that the challenge to core beliefs is the central point in the relationship between the variables, in a direct and positive relationship with PTG. We found an indirect path from challenge to core beliefs to PTSS, mediated by intrusive and deliberative ruminations. The combined findings suggested that there are different profiles related to trauma in CC survivors and the relationship between PTSS and PTG is mediated by the challenge to core beliefs and deliberative and intrusive rumination.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) for Brazilian Portuguese and evidence of its validity

Objective: To adapt the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) for the Brazilian context and present evidence of validity based on its internal structure. Methods: A total of 2,682 Brazilian adults from different regions of the country took part in this study. Confirmatory factor analyses and multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (MGCFA) were performed to assess the factor structure of the MWQ. McDonald's omega (ω) was generated to provide reliability indexes. Results: The analyses demonstrated an adequate factor structure for the MWQ adapted to the Brazilian context, corroborating the original article's single-factor model and other adaptation studies. Furthermore, the results demonstrated the instrument's reliability in a Brazilian population (ω = 0.88). Conclusion: The MWQ is thus an adequate, reliable, and quickly administered instrument for those whose aim is to measure deliberate and spontaneous MW in Brazil.

Cross-cultural Adaptation and Validity Evidence of the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) for Brazilian Portuguese.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study is to adapt and present validity evidence based on the internal structure of the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) for the Brazilian context. METHODS: A total of 2682 Brazilian adults from different regions of the country have taken part in this study. Confirmatory factor analyses and multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (MGCFA) were performed to assess MWQ factor structure. McDonald's Omega (ω) was generated to provide reliability indexes. RESULTS: It was demonstrated an adequate factor structure of the MWQ for the Brazilian context, corroborating the original article's single-factor model and other adaptation studies. Further, the results demonstrated the reliability of the instrument for the Brazilian population (ω=0.88). CONCLUSIONS: The MWQ is thus an adequate, reliable, and quickly applicable instrument for those whose aim is to measure deliberate and spontaneous MW in Brazil.

Illness perceptions in childhood cancer survivor and caregivers' dyads.

Surviving childhood cancer is a difficult experience for children and their caregivers, it can produce long-term emotional distress. Illness perceptions refer to the way people understand the different aspects related to illness from their individual and collective experiences. OBJECTIVE: to compare the illness perceptions of adolescent childhood cancer survivors and their caregivers and examine the relationship between illness perception of childhood cancer survivors, their caregivers, and sociodemographic, illness, and treatment variables. Forty-three survivor-caregiver dyads (the mean age of a survivor 17.05 years old; the mean age of caregivers 47.53 years old) participated in the study and answered the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ) and Demographics data. RESULTS: Results showed significant differences in the illness perceptions of survivors and caregivers. Caregivers presented more negative cognitive perceptions than survivors (t = -6.701, p < 0.001), especially in the identity dimension (t = -4.327, p < 0.001), and more negative emotional perceptions than survivors (t = -4.132, p < 0.001), both in concern (t = -3.695, p < 0.001) and emotional representation (t = -3.466, p < 0.001). No significant correlations were found between survivors' and caregivers' illness perceptions and sociodemographic illness variables. CONCLUSION: These findings showed that even though dyads went through cancer together, survivors' and caregivers' perceptions of childhood cancer are different, indicating the need to better understand how children growing up with a chronic disease develop such illness perceptions and their experience.

Beliefs about childhood cancer: perceptions of survivors and mothers / Crenças sobre o câncer infantil: percepção de sobreviventes e mães / Creencias sobre el cáncer en niños: percepción de sobrevivientes y madres

Beliefs regarding a disease refer to mental schemes people construct based on their direct or indirect experiences and that are related to their health behavior and self-regulation. Such beliefs help childhood cancer survivors understand their behavior in their follow-up treatment. This study's purpose was to examine the beliefs concerning childhood cancer among 27 survivors and 49 mothers, who completed sociodemographic surveys and questionnaires addressing disease perceptions via an online platform. Results reveal that mothers, more frequently than survivors, perceived childhood cancer as a chronic disease with cyclical symptoms, with more negative consequences and emotional representations. The mothers also reported having greater understanding regarding the disease and more strongly believed in personal and treatment control in comparison to survivors. The conclusion is that the fact that survivors more positively perceived childhood cancer may indicate they re-signified their experiences in an adaptive manner.

As crenças sobre a doença referem-se a esquemas mentais que as pessoas constroem a partir de sua experiência direta ou indireta e que se relacionam com o seu comportamento em saúde e autorregulação. Em sobreviventes de câncer infantil, as crenças ajudam a compreender seus comportamentos no período pós-tratamento. Objetivou-se examinar as crenças sobre o câncer infantil em 27 sobreviventes e 49 mães que responderam a questionários sociodemográficos e de percepção da doença numa plataforma on-line. Os resultados apontaram que as mães perceberam o câncer infantil como uma doença crônica, com sintomas cíclicos, com consequências e representação emocional mais negativas que os sobreviventes. Ainda, as mães referiram compreender os aspectos relacionados à doença e acreditam no controle pessoal e do tratamento num nível mais elevado que os sobreviventes. Conclui-se que o fato de os sobreviventes perceberem o câncer infantil de maneira mais positiva pode indicar uma ressignificação da experiência de forma adaptativa.

Las creencias sobre la enfermedad se refieren a esquemas mentales que las personas construyen a partir de su experiencia directa o indirecta y que se relacionan con su conducta en salud y autorregulación. En sobrevivientes de cáncer en la niñez, sus creencias ayudan a comprender sus conductas en el periodo post-tratamiento. El objetivo fue examinar las creencias sobre el cáncer en la niñez en 27 sobrevivientes adultos jóvenes y 49 madres que contestaron a cuestionarios sociodemográfico y de percepción de la enfermedad en un sitio web. Los resultados mostraron que las madres percibieron el cáncer en la niñez como una enfermedad crónica, con síntomas cíclicos, con consecuencias y representación emocional más negativa que los sobrevivientes. Además, las madres refirieron comprender la enfermedad y creer en el control personal y del tratamiento a un nivel más alto que los sobrevivientes. Se concluye que el hecho de que los sobrevivientes perciban el cáncer en la niñez de manera más positiva pueda indicar una nueva significación de la experiencia de manera positiva.

Saúde mental e câncer infantil: a relação entre sintomas de TEPT de sobreviventes e mães / Mental health and childhood cancer: the relationship between PTSD symptoms in survivors

Vivenciar o adoecimento e o tratamento de câncer infantil pode ser uma experiência permeada por estresse para a criança e para as mães. Respostas emocionais negativas podem ocorrer durante o tratamento e também após a remissão clínica, incluindo o Transtorno de Estresse Pós-Traumático (TEPT). O objetivo do estudo foi examinar e comparar a sintomatologia de TEPT de mães e sobreviventes de câncer infantil. Metodologia: delineamento ex-post-facto. Participaram sobreviventes de câncer infantil (N=27, idade média = 23,1 anos) e mães de sobreviventes (N=49, idade média = 43,8). A coleta de dados foi realizada através de um link com um formulário eletrônico contendo a ficha de dados sociodemográficos e clínicos e o PCL-C. Os resultados revelaram diferença significativa na sintomatologia revivência (X2=4,494ª; p≤0,05) e excitabilidade (X2=4,055ª; p≤0,05) entre mães e sobreviventes, indicando uma maior frequência de mães que apresentam esses sintomas quando comparadas com os sobreviventes. Esses resultados apontam que prejuízos para a saúde mental podem ser maiores para as mães que para os sobreviventes. O fato da sintomatologia de revivência ser menor para os sobreviventes que para as mães pode indicar a sua relação com memória do evento traumático. É importante que sobreviventes e mães que passaram pela experiência do câncer na infância sejam acompanhados com atenção pela equipe multidisciplinar a fim de prevenir transtornos mentais como o TEPT.(AU)

Illness and treatment of childhod cancer can be an experience permeated by stress both for the cildren and their mothers. Negative emotional responses may occur during treatment, and also after clinical remission, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The aim of the study was to examine and compare the PTSD symptoms of mothers and survivors of childhood cancer. Methodology: ex-post-facto design. Participants were survivors of childhood cancer (N = 27, mean age = 23.1 years) and their mothers (N = 49, mean age = 43.8). The data collection was performed through a link with an electronic form containing the sociodemographic and clinical data sheet and the PCL-C. The results revealed a significant difference in the symptoms of reliving (X2 = 4,494ª; p≤0,05) and arousal (X2 = 4,055ª; p≤0,05) among mothers and survivors, indicating a higher frequency of mothers presenting these symptoms when compared with survivors. These results show that mental healt impairments may be greater for the mothers than for the survivors. The fact that the reliving symptomatology is lower for the survivora tham for the mothers may indicate its relation with the memory of the traymatic event. It is important that survivors and mothers who have had the experience of childhood cancer are closely followed by the multidisciplinary team to prevent mental disorders such as PTSD.(AU)