A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PROSPECTIVE OUTCOME STUDY OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTION PROTOCOL FOR PROCEDURAL DISTRESS IN PEDIATRIC LEUKEMIA

Evaluated distress during invasive procedures in childhood leukemia. C hild and parent distress, assessed by questionnaires and ratings, were compared in two arms of a randomized, controlled prospective study, o ne a pharmacologic only (PO) (n = 45) and the other a combined pharmac ologic and psychological intervention (CI) (n = 47), at 1, 2, and 6 mo nths after diagnosis. The cross sectional control group (CC) consisted of parents of 70 patients in first remission prior to the prospective study. Mothers' and nurses' ratings of child distress indicated less child distress in the CI group than the PO. When contrasted with the C C group, the CI group showed lower levels of child distress, Data show ed decreases over time in distress and concurrent improvements in qual ity of life and parenting stress and supported an inverse association between distress and child age.