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Internalizing symptoms in AYA survivors of childhood cancer and matched comparisons
Author(s) -
D'Souza Amber M.,
Devine Katie A.,
ReiterPurtill Jennifer,
Gerhardt Cynthia A.,
Vannatta Kathryn,
Noll Robert B.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
psycho‐oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.41
H-Index - 137
eISSN - 1099-1611
pISSN - 1057-9249
DOI - 10.1002/pon.5183
Subject(s) - anxiety , psychopathology , depression (economics) , distress , clinical psychology , young adult , cancer , psychiatry , psychology , psychological resilience , medicine , developmental psychology , psychotherapist , economics , macroeconomics
Objective As the number of pediatric cancer survivors increases, so does our need to understand behavioral late effects. Prior studies show mixed results, with some noting increased emotional distress and psychiatric diagnoses in cancer survivors and others suggesting resilience. The purpose of our study was to evaluate internalizing symptoms such as anxiety and depression in young adult survivors of childhood cancer compared with matched classroom matched peers. Method We completed a multisource, cross‐sectional examination of internalizing symptoms using a semistructured psychiatric interview with 18‐year‐olds with a history of pediatric cancer compared with age, race, and gender matched classroom peers who had been identified during the survivor's first year of treatment and their primary caregivers. Results Fifty‐seven young adult survivors of childhood cancer and 60 comparison peers participated. There were no significant differences between survivors and their peers on the basis of self‐ or parent‐reported depressive or anxiety symptoms or number of psychiatric diagnoses. Conclusions Young adult survivors of childhood cancer and their parents did not report increased rates of anxiety or depression compared with their former classroom peers. Despite experiencing a major life challenge, this group of young adults with cancer did not report more current or past symptoms of internalizing psychopathology.