Psychiatric vulnerability in children growing up with a parent with cancer - a systematic review

Psychological trauma is a universal experience among humans; when suffered during developmental ages it might affect development and be at the base of psychopathology. Having a parent diagnosed with cancer is a highly distressing experience for a child and may influence the development of future psychopathology. This PRISMA-adhering systematic review focused on studies of children with a parent diagnosed with cancer and reporting psychiatric diagnoses or clinically significant symptoms assessed with validated instruments. The review included 25 studies spanning from 1994 to 2025. Studies found increased prevalence of anxiety, depressive, and posttraumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents with a parent affected by cancer compared to controls. Internalizing problems were higher than externalizing problems in children and adolescents, especially girls. There have been few implemented programs for children with a parent with cancer, despite recognition of higher psychopathological risk. The few psychotherapeutic trials yielded results with small effect sizes, while there is a dearth of pharmacological trials that does not allow drawing conclusions. There is need to prioritize programs that take care of children with parents with cancer so to reduce future psychopathology. Psychotherapeutic interventions must target the internalizing and externalizing symptoms and address the posttraumatic aspects of the child's suffering.