Coping and Attachment in Pediatric Oncohematology

Cancer can be a traumatic and particularly salient experience in a person's history. The ways in which the pediatric patient copes with it depend on the interaction of several factors present in his or her life context, primarily the relationship that is established between parent and child.

Despite the paucity of studies in the literature in this regard, it would seem that parental coping is predictive of child coping. Coping strategies represent the ways in which people try to manage traumatic events or stressful everyday situations.

Currently, the literature identifies two main categories of coping strategies: emotion-oriented and problem-oriented strategies. The former are aimed on reducing stress-induced unpleasant emotions (e.g., problem avoidance, positive reappraisal, etc.); the latter, on the other hand, focus on stress dissolution/alteration (e.g., problem identification and resolution, stress cause research). Some studies, previously conducted in oncology, show that emotion-focused coping strategies are associated with better adaptation immediately after diagnosis, but their positive influence tends to weaken over time; problem-focused coping strategies are more correlated with poor adaptation immediately after diagnosis, but in the later stages of treatment.

The clinical experience with patients in the Pediatric Oncohematology Department brings out the need to develop and structure a psychological assessment model, in order to ensure a more effective care of the family units followed.

The research aims, through a single administration of psychological tests, to investigate the role of attachment and some variables (age, gender, stage of treatment, stage of the disease, social support, resilience, ability to adapt to environmental stimuli, emotional state of of caregivers) on the coping strategies implemented by the parents of patients and the patients themselves, in order to differentiate the types of psychological intervention, to try to reduce psychological distress and increase levels of mental well-being.

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Key information

Conditions

Pediatric Cancer Coping Behavior Neoplasms Relationship, Parent Child

Age range

8 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Ospedale San Gerardo, SC Ematologia Pediatrica, Monza, Monza-Brianza, Italy

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Parents Inclusion Criteria:

parents of both sexes
age of son/daughter between 8 and 17 years old (included)
son/daughter being treated at the Pediatric Oncohematology departments involved in the research (Day Hospital and hospitalization)
good understanding of the Italian language

Parents Exclusion Criteria:

● son/daughter in off-therapy

Patients Inclusion Criteria:

age between 8 and 17 years old (included), undergoing treatment at the Pediatric Oncohematology departments (Day Hospital and hospitalization)
parents enrolled in the study
good understanding of the Italian language

Patients Exclusion Criteria:

● patients in off-therapy

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Child-Parent Relationship Scale

Time frame: One time just after the enrollment

Child-Parent Relationship Scale is a 30-item, self-report instrument used to assess conflict and relational closeness, two important aspects in the emotional support provided to the child and compliance with care, as well as perceived parental distress. The Likert scale ranges from 1 to 5, where 1 stands for "Absolutely not true" and 5 stands for "Definitely true." Scoring is done by summing the raw scores of the items in the three sections (positive aspects of the relationship, conflict and dependence) divided by the items in each sub-scale (mean score).
Coping Orientations to Problem Experienced

Time frame: One time just after the enrollment

"Coping Orientations to Problem Experienced- New Italian Version" is a self-report questionnaire that considers different coping modes. The Likert scale ranges from 1 to 4, where 1 stands for "I usually don't do it" and 4 stands for "I almost always do it." The instrument consists of 60 items, divided into 5 independent dimensions: social support, avoidance strategies, positive attitude, problem orientation and transcendent orientation. The scores from 1 to 4 are based on the responses identified by the subject for each item except for 4 "reverse" responses (items 8-20-36-50) for which the chosen score must be reversed. The items are then divided into groups for the identification of the 5 coping factors (social support, avoidance, positive attitude and transcendent orientation). Higher scores indicate greater use of that specific coping strategy.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Marco Zecca, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+390382501258

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo di Pavia

Other

Collaborators

Catholic University of the Sacred Heart
Fondazione Soleterre - Strategie di Pace ONLUS
Università Pavia - Dipartimento di Scienze del Sistema Nervoso e del Comportamento

Registry information

Official study title

Coping and Attachment in Pediatric Oncohematology: Multicenter Cross-sectional Study to Assess Emotional Resources and Attachment Dynamics Related to Coping Strategies in Parents of Children With Oncohematologic Disease

Acronym: CopAt

Important dates

Study start: 2023
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2026
First posted: Mar 5, 2025
Registry last updated: Apr 24, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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