Motherhood and maintaining the child-parent relationship are top priorities for mothers with breast cancer (BC). The current study aimed to assess the positive intra- and inter-personal resources related to positive parenting among mothers with BC, as these may be promotive factors for positive parenting. Specifically, we examined whether social support (family, friend, spiritual), emotion regulation, and a sense of meaning in life are related to positive parenting among mothers undergoing BC treatments.

The sample consisted of 100 Israeli mothers (mean age = 46.02 years, SD = 6.06 years) who were undergoing treatment for BC. Participating mothers had at least one child aged 6-17 years. Participants were recruited via closed social media groups to complete a questionnaire containing: the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, Cancer Perceived Agents of Social Support tool, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), and sociodemographic and clinical questions. We used structural equation modeling to regress the study variables on positive parenting.

Friend support (β = .35, p = .009) and meaning in life (β = .30, p = .012) were significantly related to positive parenting. Family support, spiritual support, cognitive reappraisal, and the sociodemographic and clinical variables were not related to positive parenting.

Our study suggests that promoting meaning in life and friend support may be key to helping mothers to sustain positive parenting behaviors throughout their cancer treatment. Future research may examine whether psychosocial interventions which foster meaning in life and friend support impact positive parenting among mothers with BC.

Patients with brain cancer and painful symptoms of the disease experience heavy pressure and negative inner experiences, leading to a sense of stigma. Therefore, this study assessed the level of stigma in patients with brain cancer and analyzed the risk factors for stigma to analyze the underlying relationships among depression, social support, low self-esteem, and stigma.

Patients completed the Social Impact Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Herth Hope Index, Social Support Rating Scale, and Self-Perceived Burden Scale. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify factors independently associated with stigma. Parallel mediation analysis was used to evaluate the mediating role of the relationship between psychoemotional factors and stigma.

A multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated significant associations between age (β =  - 0.189, P = 0.002), treatment (β = 0.184, P = 0.003), self-esteem (β =  - 0.128, P = 0.046), depression (β = 0.273, P < 0.001), hope (β =  - 0.217, P = 0.003), and self-perceived burden (β = 0.260, P < 0.001) with brain cancer. It was observed that the social support received by brain cancer patients directly impacted their stigma (total effect, - 0.851, P = 0.001). Additionally, this relationship was influenced by depression and self-esteem through two distinct pathways.

Increased stigma among brain cancer patients was found to be associated with severe depression, feelings of inferiority, diminished hope, and a heavy perceived burden. The structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that social support negatively influenced stigma through depression and self-esteem. It is imperative to grasp patients' inner needs, implement psychological interventions, and cultivate a cancer-friendly social environment to prevent stigmatization and discrimination based on their patient status.

Hereditary cancer syndromes caused by germline mutations account for 5-10% of all cancers. The finding of a genetic mutation could have far-reaching consequences for pharmaceutical therapy, personalized prevention strategies, and cascade testing. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network's (NCCN) and the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM) guidelines, unaffected family members should be tested only if the affected one is unavailable. This article explores whether germline genetic testing may be offered to high-risk families for hereditary cancer even if a living affected relative is missing. A retrospective study was carried out on 103 healthy subjects tested from 2017 to 2023. We enrolled all subjects with at least two first- or second-degree relatives affected by breast, ovarian, pancreatic, gastric, prostate, or colorectal cancer. All subjects were tested by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) multi-gene panel of 27 cancer-associated genes. In the study population, 5 (about 5%) pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (PVs/LPVs) were found, while 40 (42%) had a Variant of Uncertain Significance (VUS). This study highlights the importance of genetic testing for individuals with a strong family history of hereditary malignancies. This approach would allow women who tested positive to receive tailored treatment and prevention strategies based on their personal mutation status.

As many as one in four adults with cancer have children under 18 years. Balancing parenting and cancer is challenging and can be a source of psychological distress. This study aimed to examine psychological distress in parents with cancer and its associations with parenting concerns, self-efficacy, and emotion regulation.

This was a cross-sectional questionnaire study of 406 parents (aged 25-60 years) diagnosed with cancer within the last 5 years, with at least one dependent child (≤ 18 years). Parents completed questionnaires on psychological distress (DASS-21), parenting concerns (PCQ), self-efficacy (GSE), emotion regulation (ERQ), mental and physical health, and sociodemographics. Data were analysed using multiple logistic regressions on depression (yes/no), anxiety (yes/no), and stress (yes/no).

Higher parenting concerns were associated with greater odds of depression (OR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.64-3.31), anxiety (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.64-3.20), and stress (OR = 3.21, 95% CI: 2.20-4.69) when adjusting for health and sociodemographic factors. Poorer self-efficacy was associated with increased odds of anxiety (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89-0.99, p < 0.05), whereas lower use of cognitive reappraisal and higher use of expressive suppression increased the odds of depression (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.59-0.98 | OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.18-1.80).

The findings highlight the complexity of parental well-being in relation to parenthood and cancer, stressing the need for interventions that address relevant psychological factors to improve overall mental health in this population.

A new Parent Support Worker (PSW) service was piloted in three Australian hospitals. This study assesses the feasibility and acceptability (including preliminary effectiveness) of the service in supporting cancer patients with children.

A multi-site, mixed-methods study collected quantitative and qualitative data on the effectiveness of the service (pre post-test, n = 36), qualitative and quantitative data on acceptability of the service (survey, n = 43), and qualitative data on acceptability (semi-structured interviews, n = 13). Feasibility was assessed through rates of service uptake amongst referred parents.

Of 1133 parents referred, 810 (71%) accepted to receive the service, suggesting high interest in PSW support. Interviewees likewise reported that the service was accessible and facilitated further referrals, indicating good feasibility. Surveys completed three months after accessing PSW support showed high acceptability and satisfaction. Additionally, there was preliminary evidence of service impacts: parents' distress, parenting concerns, parenting efficacy, and stress about situations of concern improved significantly from pre- to post-service (all p < 0.005). Interviewees further described how their emotional coping and confidence to support and communicate with their children had improved through contact with the service.

The PSW service, integrated into a novel cross-sector model of care, showed to be feasible and acceptable to parent patients and their partners and improved psychological and parenting outcomes. The study suggests refinements to the service and the need for future larger studies to explore the effectiveness of the service in improving parents' outcomes. This study complements previous evidence on the implementation of the PSW service in hospitals.

A mother's cancer diagnosis may have consequences for all family members, particularly for children, since it makes a parent less physically and emotionally available, with effects on the relationship with the child and his/her development. The main aim of this study was to analyze children's psychological adjustment in the context of maternal cancer by considering factors related to the child (i.e., age and sex), the mother (psychological adjustment), and cancer (i.e., time elapsed from the diagnosis and current oncological treatment). Self-report questionnaires investigating mothers' parenting stress, depression, anxiety, and children's emotional and behavioral problems were administered to 124 mothers (mean age = 44.52 years; SD = 7.22) diagnosed with cancer. A hierarchical regression analysis highlighted that time since diagnosis and mothers' anxiety and parenting stress accounted for almost 44% of the variance of the children's difficulties. Maternal depression, current oncological treatment, and the child's age and sex were not statistically significant. Higher mothers' parenting stress and anxiety and a longer time elapsed since the first diagnosis predicted higher levels of children's emotional and behavioral problems. These findings highlight the need to identify precursors of childhood distress in the context of maternal cancer and to develop structured programs to support both mothers and children.

Several authors found that somatic symptoms during pregnancy such as nausea, vomiting, and levels of sleep, and fear of childbirth were associated with women's post-partum psychopathological difficulties. The present study aimed to verify whether fear of childbirth can mediate the relationship between some somatic symptoms experienced during pregnancy (i.e., nausea, vomiting, and daily sleep duration) and the post-partum depressive and anxious symptoms. N = 258 mothers of children between 3 and 6 months of age filled out self-report questionnaires assessing somatic symptoms during pregnancy, fear of childbirth, and anxious and depressive symptoms during post-partum. Results showed that levels of vomiting during pregnancy (but not nausea and daily sleep duration) was associated with post-partum depression and anxiety. Furthermore, findings showed that fear of childbirth partially mediated the relationships between the levels of vomiting during pregnancy and post-partum state anxiety and depression. These results can have several clinical implications, allowing to implement preventive programs for post-partum depression, considering vomiting and fear of childbirth as important risk factors.

The present study aimed to analyze the differences between maternal and paternal parenting stress and children's behavioral functioning, as determined by teacher and parent reports. In addition, it sought to evaluate the presence of clusters based on parenting stress and to determine whether perceptions of children's behavioral functioning varied across these clusters. The sample was composed of the parents and teachers of N = 201 children. Parents completed a self-report questionnaire on parenting stress and parents and teachers filled out report-form questionnaires assessing children's emotional and behavioral functioning. The results showed that mothers had higher levels of parenting stress than fathers, and both parents reported more prosocial behavior in children than did teachers. Furthermore, middle stressed parents had children who expressed more prosocial behavior than did parents in other clusters. The findings also showed that parenting stress influenced partners' perceptions of children's behavioral functioning. The multiplicity of child observers facilitated a better understanding of how parenting stress, linked to parent-child interactions, may play an important role in shaping parents' perceptions of their children.

The COVID-19 outbreak resulted in a large amount of emotionally charged messaging that is believed to have a tremendous psychological impact, particularly on children and early adolescents. The present study examined the relationships between children's exposure to COVID-19 news, children's emotional responses to the news, parental styles of mediating COVID-19 news, and children's emotional functioning during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy in April 2020. An online survey was completed by 277 parents (Mage = 43.36; SDage = 4.76; mothers = 89.5%) with children aged 6 to 13 years. Regression analyses showed that the parental active mediation style was associated with higher emotion regulation and lower lability/negativity, whereas the restrictive style was associated with higher lability/negativity and the social coviewing style was associated with lower emotion regulation. The results provide evidence for how adults using an active style can mediate messages to reduce children's emotional difficulties during events with high emotional involvement.

International research has evidenced the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families, and the key role played by parenting stress levels. Although significant associations with parents' past trauma and resilience have been shown, this study aimed to explore their complex interplay on the relationship between parents' peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19, parenting stress, and children's psychopathological difficulties. We recruited 353 parents with children aged two to 16 years via an online survey during the Italian second wave of COVID-19. Parents' peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19, parenting stress, past trauma and resilience, and children's psychological difficulties were assessed through self-report and report-form questionnaires. Parents' past traumas significantly predicted peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19 and children's psychological difficulties. The relationship between past traumas and children's psychological difficulties was serial mediated by parents' peritraumatic distress and parenting stress. Direct and total effects of parent's resilience on parent's peritraumatic distress were not significant, but there were significant indirect effects via parenting stress and via parents' peritraumatic distress and parenting stress, indicating inconsistent mediation. This study evidenced the key risk and protective role played by, respectively, parents' past traumas exposure and resilience on the relationship between parents' psychological difficulties due to COVID-19, parenting stress, and children's psychological difficulties, with important clinical implications.

The purpose of this study was to explore fathers' adjustment and father-child relationships during the first peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak (April 2020). More particularly, the study analysed paternal perceptions of changes concerning familial economic conditions and children's psychological difficulties (viz., emotional problems and hyperactivity) during the lockdown produced by the current pandemic. Furthermore, we investigated the following correlates of fathers' parenting stress: socio-demographic condition, paternal individual stress, anxiety, depression and changes in the father-child relationship during the outbreak.

A total of 102 fathers (mean age = 41.60 years; SD = 11.54) with minor children were recruited through an online survey and reported data about their socio-economic condition, anxiety, and depressive levels, parenting stress, offspring's adjustment, and changes in their relationship with their children.

As for the economic conditions, participants were equally distributed between those who did not perceive changes and those who perceived a worsening. With regard to changes in the child's psychological difficulties, results showed that levels of children's emotional problems and inattention/hyperactivity had significantly increased during the lockdown period. A multiple linear regression analysis highlighted that the principal predictor of paternal parenting stress was living in the regions most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by high levels of paternal anxiety symptomatology and high levels of worsening of the relationship with the child during the pandemic.

Overall, our study suggests to consider the effects of COVID-19 on fathers as well, as they have been rather overlooked by previous research that has mainly focused on mothers, and to plan specific interventions able to also take them into account.

Parental cancer poses major challenges for families with minor children. Due to diagnosis and treatment family life is disrupted. To prevent long-term consequences in all family members and to design needs-oriented family-centered interventions, further understanding of the family's situation including the impact on the children, quality of life levels and the parental psychosocial needs is necessary. This study aims at investigating the impact of parental cancer on the minor children, family-specific psychosocial needs and quality of life levels of parents and children. Cancer patients parenting at least 1 minor child (<18 years) were eligible for study participation. In total, n=86 cancer patients under treatment participated in the study. After excluding participants without a minor child, 78 patients remained for analyses. We assessed children's quality of life using the parent proxy version of the KIDSCREEN-10 and parental quality of life using the EORTC QLQ C30 quality of life questionnaire. Additionally, the questionnaire comprised open questions about positive and negative changes parents perceived in their children as well as questions on specific family- and child-related psychosocial needs. The majority of participants were mothers (91%), mainly diagnosed with breast cancer (59%). The participating parents provided data on 117 minor children. Parents mentioned positive changes in 38% of the children (e.g., being more attentive and helpful). Negative changes were reported in 37% of the children (e.g., being more anxious and clingy). Parents reported family-specific psychosocial supportive care needs for themselves as a parent (e.g., support regarding parenting concerns), support needs for the partner or the children. Moreover, parents expressed family-related information needs and needs regarding practical aspects (e.g., childcare, household help). Global quality of life was M = 55.7 (SD = 23.4) for parents and M = 57.5 (SD = 15.5) for children. Pearson's correlation coefficient between parental and children's quality of life was 0.377 (p < 0.001). To identify parents with cancer and children in need for additional support, health care providers should proactively inquire about the impact of the disease on the children. In terms of a comprehensive cancer care, the direct assessment of family impact and family-specific support needs in cancer patients with minor children allows for needs-based allocation to support offers.

The primary aim of the present study was to conduct a systematic review of short-, intermediate- and long-term psychological effects, such as anxiety, depression and distress, on individuals undergoing genetic testing to determine BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation. The different instruments used for the measurement of each construct were reported. In addition, risk and protective factors associated with psychological outcomes of genetic tests were explored.

Bibliographic databases were searched for studies published over the period 1998-2018. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method, 21 articles were selected for the current review.

Overall, the collected data revealed rather diverse results, although most studies reported higher levels of distress, anxiety and depression in carriers, as compared to non-carriers. The two genders were not equally represented, with men constituting only 6% of the sample. Risk factors and protective factors that may influence psychological outcomes and adjustment to genetic tests are highlighted and discussed in this review.

The increased risk of developing cancer associated with positive genetic testing results may be experienced as traumatic by many patients, although not all individuals with positive genetic testing results will experience increased distress. Hence, future studies should consider specific risk factors in order to select those who are more likely to be in need of psychological support. Finally, it is necessary to increase the number of male samples to better understand the male experience related to genetic testing outcomes.