Patterns of distress in parents of children undergoing stem cell transplantation

Parents (N = 151) of children undergoing bone marrow or stem cell transplantation (BMT) were assessed in a prospective, longitudinal design with repeated measures of distress (mood disturbance, perceived stress, caregiver burden). Parents were assessed weekly from admission for BMT (week-1) through week +6 post-BMT, followed by monthly assessments through month +6. Concurrent measures of child distress (somatic distress, mood disturbance) were also obtained by parent and child report. Parents demonstrate modest, but significant elevations in distress, particularly during the early period from admission through week +3. Elevations in parental distress are transient, and appear to be largely resolved by 4-6 months post-BMT. Parental distress was unrelated to child age, gender, diagnosis, or type of transplant, but was significantly related to parental socioeconomic status (SES). Parents from lower SES backgrounds reported greater levels of distress throughout the BMT process. Moderate correlations were observed between measures of parent and child distress, and level of child distress at the time of admission for BMT was predictive parental distress trajectories across the acute phase of BMT. These findings point to appropriate targets for intervention to reduce transplant-related distress.