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Temperament, personality, and quality of life in pediatric cancer patients
Felicity W K Harper1, Benjamin D Goodlett, Christopher J Trentacosta
1PhD, Population Studies and Disparities Research Program, Karmanos Cancer Institute, 4100 John R Street - MM03CB, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. harperf@karmanos.org.
Objective:
The developmental psychology literature shows that children with higher levels of effortful control (EC) and ego-resilience (ER) display greater social competence and better emotional adjustment. This study examined whether these dispositional attributes contribute to positive quality of life (QOL) in pediatric cancer patients.
Method:
Participants were 103 pediatric cancer patients (and their parents) who were part of a larger parent study. At study entry, parents reported their own anxiety and depression and their children's EC and ER. At 3-month follow-up, parents reported children's QOL.
Results:
ER was positively correlated with children's QOL. EC showed a positive indirect effect on QOL through ER. Inclusion of potential correlates of pediatric QOL (e.g., parent neuroticism) did not change these relationships.
Conclusions:
Temperament and personality play significant roles in pediatric cancer patients' QOL. Assessing dispositional attributes early in treatment may help identify children at risk for poor QOL during and after treatment.
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