Social Adjustment and Coping in Children Diagnosed with Cancer: From Diagnosis to 12 Months

Abstract

Children diagnosed with cancer experience stress associated with their diagnosis and treatment and are at heightened risk for problems in social adjustment. The current study investigated the association between coping with cancer-related stress and problems in social adjustment across the first year after a pediatric cancer diagnosis. Mothers of children (ages 5 to 17 years) with cancer (N = 325) were recruited from two children’s hospitals. Mother’s reported on their child’s problems in social adjustment and coping near diagnosis (T1) and 12 months (T2). Secondary control coping (e.g., cognitive reappraisal, acceptance) predicted problems in social adjustment over time, whereas problems in social adjustment were associated with concurrent but not future coping. These findings demonstrate the influence of secondary control coping on the social adjustment of children diagnosed with cancer, which highlights important avenues for future intervention and research.