Multidimensional assessment of psychological problems in children with cancer

The Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) was administered to 88 children 3 to 16 years of age who had cancer. A variety of dimensions of psychological adjustment of these children, who were compared with a sample of nonsick children, was assessed. The PIC indicated that children with cancer exhibited cognitive development-related problems and internalized forms of psychopathology more often than their age- and sex-matched cohorts. In the cancer sample, no differences in problems as a function of diagnoses were observed when controlling for age of the child. No differences related to length of time since diagnosis were observed when controlling for age of the child. About 26% of the children with cancer exhibited PIC profiles indicating problems of such magnitude that professional intervention would be appropriate.