Posttraumatic Stress Symptomatology in Mothers of Pediatric Cancer Survivors

Forty-nine mothers of pediatric cancer survivors were administered structured interviews to assess the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and self-report questionnaires to measure degree of PTSD symptomatology. Twenty percent of the mothers met diagnostic criteria for current PTSD and 27% met criteria for lifetime PTSD. The number of low magnitude stressors experienced in the past year, current perceptions of cancer threat, and family income were shown to contribute to the prediction of PTSD symptomatology.