Psychosocial risk in pediatric cancer patients and the perceived usefulness of available care resources by their caregivers

AI Summary

Average psychosocial risk among paediatric cancer patients was moderate: 43% low, 41% moderate, 16% high.
Highest risk domains were family structure and resources, stress response, and parental problems.
Caregivers rated financial assistance, patient-directed interventions and social support as most useful; caregiver psychopathology treatments were viewed as less useful.

Arch Argent Pediatr. 2026 May 21:e202510940. doi: 10.5546/aap.2025-10940.eng. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Introduction. Pediatric cancer exposes families to numerous chronic stressors, which require resources that are often lacking in vulnerable settings. Objectives. To assess the psychosocial risk among pediatric cancer patients and to explore caregivers’ perceptions of the usefulness of the psychosocial support services offered by hospitals. Population and methods. This was an observational, prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study. The study included caregivers of patients with a recent cancer diagnosis from five Argentine hospitals. Participants were administered the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT) questionnaire and a hospital psychosocial intervention inventory designed for this study. Results. The sample consisted of 103 subjects. Public and private hospitals obtained similar risk scores. Average risk: moderate. The sample was distributed as follows: low risk (43%), moderate risk (41%), and high risk (16%). The areas of highest risk were family structure and resources, stress response, and parental problems. All institutional measures aimed at strengthening financial resources were reported as highly helpful. The choice of other types of interventions varied, with particular emphasis on the usefulness of those directed at patients and at strengthening social support. Interventions aimed at treating caregiver psychopathology were considered less useful, despite this type of problem being one of the most prevalent among parents at high and moderate psychosocial risk. Conclusion. This study assessed the psychosocial risk among pediatric cancer patients in Argentina, identified the psychosocial interventions offered by hospitals, and examined caregivers’ perceptions of the usefulness of these interventions during the first month following diagnosis.

PMID:42154458 | DOI:10.5546/aap.2025-10940.eng

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