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Korean mothers’ psychosocial adjustment to their children's cancer
Author(s) -
Han HaeRa
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of advanced nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.948
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1365-2648
pISSN - 0309-2402
DOI - 10.1046/j.0309-2402.2003.02833.x
Subject(s) - psychosocial , coping (psychology) , multilevel model , social support , childhood cancer , clinical psychology , psychology , developmental psychology , medicine , cancer , psychiatry , psychotherapist , machine learning , computer science
Background. During the course of adjustment to their child's illness and medical treatment, parents of children with cancer may experience numerous challenges and difficulties. Although parental adjustment has been a research topic for many years, little research has been conducted among families in different cultures and countries. Aim. To identify factors that influence maternal psychosocial adjustment to childhood cancer using a new cultural group: Korean. Methods. A sample of 200 Korean mothers of children with cancer was included in the study. Guided by the double ABCX model of family adjustment and adaptation, a series of variables (i.e. maternal stress, coping, social support and selected illness‐related and demographic questions) were examined for their relationships with maternal psychosocial adjustment to childhood cancer. Results. Using a hierarchical multiple regression, we found perceived level of stress, coping, social support, and time since diagnosis to be significant correlates of maternal psychosocial adjustment. Stress accounted for most (50%) of the total variance explained (56%) in maternal adjustment. Conclusion. The results suggest that the stress‐coping framework may be appropriate in explaining maternal responses to childhood cancer across cultures.