Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer patients with children are increasing; however, few studies have quantitatively assessed the parenting concerns of cancer patients with children. The Parenting Concerns Questionnaire was developed in the USA in 2012 and is the only instrument to measure the parenting concerns of cancer patients with children. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire and evaluate its reliability and validity. METHODS: An Internet survey was conducted among cancer patients registered with 'Cancer Parents', an Internet community site for cancer patients, who have children aged <18 years, and 174 responses were recorded. Two weeks later, a retest was conducted, and responses were obtained from 87 patients. RESULTS: Based on confirmatory factor analysis of the factor structure proposed by the authors of the original version, factors 'I. The impact of my illness on the child's daily life (five items)', 'II. The impact of my illness on the child's feelings (five items)' and 'III. Concerns about my parenting partner (five items)' were consistent with the original version. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for all items and by factors were 0.86, 0.79, 0.86 and 0.86. The Parenting Concerns Questionnaire total scores correlated with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (r = 0.52), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy General (r = -0.56), Family Assessment Device-General Functioning (r = 0.51) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (r = -0.47). The intraclass correlation coefficients for all items and by factors were 0.81, 0.71, 0.77 and 0.85. CONCLUSIONS: The Japanese version of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire has satisfactory reliability and validity.

Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a psychosocial support program for adolescent and young adult cancer patients in clinical practice: a retrospective observational study.

PURPOSE: Adolescent and young adult cancer patients (AYAs) often experience profound psychological distress, with various unmet supportive care needs that can be alleviated with appropriate screening and attention by healthcare workers. The Distress Thermometer and Problem List-Japanese version (DTPL-J) is our previously developed screening tool to facilitate individual support of AYAs. This study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a psychosocial support program based on the DTPL-J for AYAs in clinical practice. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective, observational study included 19 of 126 wards and 9 of 75 outpatient clinics at 8 institutions in Japan. Over 200 patients were expected to participate during the eligibility period. Patients participated in a support program at least once, and approximately once a month based on the DTPL-J results. The program was evaluated using the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) implementation framework. RESULTS: The screening rate of the 361 participants was 90.3%, suggesting high feasibility. Distress Thermometer scores, the number of supportive care needs, and the rates of AYAs with high distress were significantly reduced 1 month after screening (p < 0.05), suggesting the preliminary effectiveness of the program. The program was continued at the 8 institutions as part of routine care after the study. CONCLUSION: Analysis using the RE-AIM suggested the sufficient feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a psychosocial support program based on the DTPL-J for AYAs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN CTR) UMIN000042857. Registered 25 December 2020-Retrospectively registered.

Association between Family Caregivers' Satisfaction with Care for Terminal Cancer Patients and Quality of Life of the Bereaved Family: A Prospective Pre- and Postloss Study.

Background: The quality of life (QOL) of family caregivers often deteriorates after the death of patients with terminal cancer. Although previous retrospective cross-sectional studies of the bereaved family caregivers of cancer patients have suggested that lower satisfaction with care given to terminal cancer patients was related to lower QOL of the bereaved family caregivers, the retrospective cross-sectional study design has limitations. Objectives: To clarify family caregivers' satisfaction with the care of terminal cancer patients and bereaved family caregivers' QOL. Design: A prospective pre- and postloss study. Setting/Subjects: Family caregivers of terminal cancer patients were recruited from three inpatient hospice/palliative care units in Japan. Measurements: Family caregivers completed questionnaires, including the Family Satisfaction with Advanced Cancer Care (FAMCARE) scale before loss and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire before loss and six months after the patient's death. Results: A total of 114 family caregivers were included in each analysis. After the patient's death, bereaved family caregivers' mental component summary score of SF-36 significantly differed between low- and high-satisfaction caregiver groups (n = 47 in both groups, mean difference = 3.50, p = 0.048). The proportion of family caregivers with depressive symptoms (moderate or worse) at preloss was 41% (25/61) in the low-satisfaction group and 22% (11/51) in the high-satisfaction group. Conclusions: Family caregivers' satisfaction with the care provided to terminal cancer patients at the end of their lives was associated with the bereaved family caregivers' QOL six months postloss. Enhancing family caregivers' satisfaction with care has the potential to improve their postloss QOL.

Reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the psychosocial assessment tool for families of children with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Patients with childhood cancer and their families frequently experience psychosocial distress associated with cancer and its treatment. We thus examined the reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool, which was designed to screen for psychosocial risk factors among families of children with cancer. METHODS: Forward-backward translation was used to develop the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool. We conducted a cross-sectional study. Mothers (N = 117), who were the primary caregivers of children with cancer, completed the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool and other measures to establish validity. The internal consistency and 2-week test-retest reliability of the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool were also examined. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool total score was sufficient (Kuder-Richardson 20 coefficient = 0.84); however, the subscales 'structure and resources,' 'stress reactions' and 'family beliefs' were less than optimal (Kuder-Richardson 20 coefficients = 0.03, 0.49 and 0.49, respectively). The test-retest reliability for the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool total score was sufficient (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.92). Significant correlations with the criteria measures indicated the validity of the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool total score. The optimal cut-off score for screening mothers with high psychosocial risk was 0.9/1.0, which was associated with 92% sensitivity and 63% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that the Japanese version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool is a valid and reliable tool to screen mothers for elevated distress.

Feasibility and short-term impact of the "case study in-house group training program for family nursing" at medical facilities.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and short-term impact of case study training in family nursing care targeting midlevel nursing professionals. The intervention group participated in four 90-minute case study training sessions over 6 months, while the control group participated in two 90-minute lectures. Using primary outcome variables as evaluation indexes, we measured the participants' total scores on the Family Importance in Nursing Care Scale and 4 subitems 3 times (before, immediately after and 1 month after training) from May 2014 to March 2015 and then conducted 2-way repeated-measure analysis of variance. We asked the participants and training planners/managers to provide feedback on their evaluation and then performed content analysis on their responses. Although the primary impact due to the different measurement times was significant, no significant difference was observed in the interaction between measurement time and training differences. Of the 4 subitems, significant interactions because of measurement time and training differences were observed only in Fam-B. Feedback data showed all participants felt that their understanding of the importance of family nursing care was strengthened, and participants in the intervention group specifically described how they were utilizing what they had learned from training in practice.