採縱貫式相關研究的設計,主要目的是探討癌症患童之父親與母親於癌症病童診斷後與六個月後追蹤的身心反應之變化情形。研究對象為林口長庚兒童醫院癌症病房之30對癌症患童父母親。研究結果發現癌症患童父親及母親於癌症診斷後的憂鬱反應、焦慮反應及整體身心反應程度均顯著高於六個月後追蹤資料之反應程度。而父親與母親間的身心反應的差異中,在孩童癌症診斷後,母親在癌症病童診斷後之焦慮情形顯著高於父親;而六個月後的追蹤中,母親在憂鬱反應方面與整體身心反應方面顯著高於父親。研究結果建議病童剛罹患癌症時,對父母親造成相當大的衝擊,因此建議臨床醫護人員必須注意在病童診斷為癌症後,必須及早提供父母親照顧患童疾病之相關訊息、資源並給予適當的心理支持,以期父母親能儘快由混亂之情境中恢復,避免引發父母親調適不良之後果,進而提升護理品質。
This longitudinal study was to examine gender differences in parental psychological distress with their child at the time of diagnosed as cancer (baseline assessment) and at 6-month follow up. The data from the 30 parent-couples who served as subjects for this study were selected from a larger data set of surveys from parents whose children were receiving treatment of follow-up care for cancer. This study findings shown that both father and mother perceived more psychological distress (for example, anxiety, depression and total distress) at the time of cancer diagnosed than 6-month follow-up. Gender-based difference of psychological distress were also found. For example, mothers perceived more anxiety than father after cancer diagnosed, while mothers perceived more depression and total distress than father at 6-month follow-up. Findings suggest that, in order to improve quality of care, health care professionals need to provide a thorough psychiatric consultation at the time of diagnosis for children who have cancer and their parents.