ADJUSTMENT OF CHILDREN FACING THE DEATH OF A PARENT DUE TO CANCER

Objective: To compare predeath and postdeath levels of depression and anxiety reported by a sample of children who lost a parent to cancer ( ''study children'') with the levels reported by children in a communit y sample who did not experience such a loss. Method: T scores for depr essive symptomatology (Children's Depression Inventory) and state and trait anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) were compared. Both samp les were weighted to control for multiple participants from the same f amily. Weights for children in the community sample were further adjus ted to match the distribution of the two samples with regard to gender , age, and number of children in the household. Comparisons were made using t tests and chi(2) tests. Results: Whereas study children report ed significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety in the predea th period, levels of symptomatology reported for both measures postdea th were similar in both samples. Discussion: The data suggest that whi le many children experiencing the loss of a parent to cancer report el evated levels of depression and anxiety predeath, by 7 to 12 months po stdeath their reports of depression and anxiety are comparable with th ose of similarly situated children in the community who did not experi ence such a loss.