Psychiatric aspects of pediatric cancer

Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2010 Apr;19(2):401-21, x-xi. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2010.01.009.

Abstract

The diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents with cancer has a tremendous and lasting effect on the patients, their families, and other individuals in their social network. It carries a host of psychological and behavioral ramifications, from questions of mortality to changes in levels of functioning in multiple domains. In this review the authors address the psychosocial and treatment-related issues that arise in children with cancer, with attention to the adjustment to cancer at different developmental stages, mood and anxiety issues, treatment-related psychiatric sequelae, and the challenges faced by childhood cancer survivors.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Adolescent
  • Affect
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / administration & dosage
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / adverse effects
  • Anxiety Disorders / epidemiology
  • Anxiety Disorders / etiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Depressive Disorder / chemically induced
  • Depressive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Fatigue / chemically induced
  • Fatigue / epidemiology
  • Health Services Needs and Demand
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / adverse effects
  • Interferon-alpha / adverse effects
  • Mental Disorders / chemically induced
  • Mental Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Mental Disorders / etiology*
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Neoplasms / psychology*
  • Patient Compliance / statistics & numerical data
  • Prevalence
  • Psychology
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / chemically induced
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / epidemiology

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Interferon-alpha