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Volume 30
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Article

The Impact of the Early COVID-19 Global Pandemic on Children Undergoing Active Cancer Treatment and Their Parents

by
Andrew Tran
1,
Sharon H. J. Hou
1,2,
Caitlin Forbes
1,
Sara Cho
1,
Victoria J. Forster
3,
Mehak Stokoe
1,
Claire E. Wakefield
4,5,
Lori Wiener
6,
Lauren C. Heathcote
7,
Gisela Michel
8,
Pandora Patterson
9,10,
Kathleen Reynolds
11,12 and
Fiona S. M. Schulte
1,11,*
1
Department of Oncology, Division of Psychosocial Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
2
Department of Psychology, British Columbia Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1, Canada
3
Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
4
School of Women’s and Children’s Health, UNSW Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
5
Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
6
Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
7
Health Psychology Section, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
8
Department of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, 6002 Lucerne, Switzerland
9
Research, Evaluation and Policy Unit, Canteen Australia, Sydney, NSW 2042, Australia
10
Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
11
Long Term Survivor’s Clinic, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary, AB T3B 6A8, Canada
12
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
 
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*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Curr. Oncol. 2023, 30(2), 2441-2456; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30020186
Submission received: 4 January 2023 / Revised: 12 February 2023 / Accepted: 13 February 2023 / Published: 17 February 2023
(This article belongs to the Section Psychosocial Oncology)
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Abstract

(1) Background: The COVID-19 global pandemic has impacted people worldwide with unique implications for vulnerable groups. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the impact of the early pandemic on children undergoing active cancer treatment and their parents. (2) Methods: In May 2020, 30 parents of children undergoing active cancer treatment completed an online survey regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their child’s cancer care, perceived utility of telemedicine, and child and parent mental health status. (3) Results: Most participants (87%) reported that they did not experience any changes to major cancer treatments. Among those who reported using telemedicine, 78% reported this to be beneficial. Over half of the participants reported that their child’s mental health status was worse now than prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Parent-reported child anxiety scores were significantly higher for those who reported changes to mental health care for their child compared to those who did not report the same, t(25.99) = −3.04, p = 0.005. (4) Conclusion: Child and parent mental health status were affected when compared to pre-pandemic. Telemedicine appears to be a promising complement to face-to-face meetings for some families and warrants further exploration.
Keywords: pediatric oncology; psychosocial oncology; mental health; COVID-19; active treatment pediatric oncology; psychosocial oncology; mental health; COVID-19; active treatment

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Tran, A.; Hou, S.H.J.; Forbes, C.; Cho, S.; Forster, V.J.; Stokoe, M.; Wakefield, C.E.; Wiener, L.; Heathcote, L.C.; Michel, G.; et al. The Impact of the Early COVID-19 Global Pandemic on Children Undergoing Active Cancer Treatment and Their Parents. Curr. Oncol. 2023, 30, 2441-2456. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30020186

AMA Style

Tran A, Hou SHJ, Forbes C, Cho S, Forster VJ, Stokoe M, Wakefield CE, Wiener L, Heathcote LC, Michel G, et al. The Impact of the Early COVID-19 Global Pandemic on Children Undergoing Active Cancer Treatment and Their Parents. Current Oncology. 2023; 30(2):2441-2456. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30020186

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tran, Andrew, Sharon H. J. Hou, Caitlin Forbes, Sara Cho, Victoria J. Forster, Mehak Stokoe, Claire E. Wakefield, Lori Wiener, Lauren C. Heathcote, Gisela Michel, and et al. 2023. "The Impact of the Early COVID-19 Global Pandemic on Children Undergoing Active Cancer Treatment and Their Parents" Current Oncology 30, no. 2: 2441-2456. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30020186

APA Style

Tran, A., Hou, S. H. J., Forbes, C., Cho, S., Forster, V. J., Stokoe, M., Wakefield, C. E., Wiener, L., Heathcote, L. C., Michel, G., Patterson, P., Reynolds, K., & Schulte, F. S. M. (2023). The Impact of the Early COVID-19 Global Pandemic on Children Undergoing Active Cancer Treatment and Their Parents. Current Oncology, 30(2), 2441-2456. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30020186

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