Abstract
Objective: Children with leukaemia experience special difficulties adapting to stress-ful medical procedures and to the adverse effects of chemotherapy, though they canimplement their coping strategies.The aims of the study were to assess whether the coping-with-pain strategies couldbe influenced by a child's personal and illness factors and to render possible compari-sons between children with leukaemia and healthy peers. Another aim was to com-pare parents' and children's reports on coping strategies.
Methods: A total of 125 patients (average age=6.79 years;SD=3.40) with acuteleukaemia (lymphocytic leukaemia 90.4% and myeloid leukaemia 9.6%) and age-matched healthy children with their parents were enrolled in the study. A socio-demographic questionnaire and the Waldon–Varni Pediatric Pain Coping Inventory,parent and self-report versions, were administered 1 month after diagnosis. Dataregarding the therapy's side effects were recorded.
Results: The comparison between proxy-reports of the two groups of parents foundsignificant differences in terms of social support, self-cognitive instructions andcatastrophising strategies. Children aged 6–10 years relied more heavily on distrac-tion than children of other ages, using more problem-solving and self-cognitiveinstructions. The results indicated moderate parent–child agreement.
Conclusion: Health professionals could help paediatric leukaemic patients in adoptingmore efficiently pain coping strategies applicable for different ages.