Resilience and its Predictors among the Parents of Children with Cancer: A Descriptive-Correlational Study

CONTEXT: As a common debilitating illness, cancer is among the leading causes of child mortality in developed and developing countries. Cancer diagnosis for children is considerably stressful for their parents. Resilience is a key factor behind effective coping with cancer-related problems. This study evaluated resilience and its predictors among the parents of children with cancer. AIM: This study evaluated resilience and its predictors among the parents of children with cancer. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2017 on 400 parents of children with cancer in Tabriz Children's Hospital, Iran. METHODS: A demographic questionnaire and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to collect the data. Parents were conveniently recruited from Tabriz Children's Hospital. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data were analyzed using the SPSS for Windows program (v. 16) via descriptive and inferential statistical methods. RESULTS: The mean score of parents’ resilience was 66.83 ± 14.28. Fathers obtained significantly higher resilience scores than mothers (P < 0.001). The predictors of parents’ resilience were financial status, parents’ gender, fathers’ employment status, and children's gender. CONCLUSION: The parents of cancer-afflicted children, particularly their mothers, have low resilience and therefore may be at risk for different physical and mental health problems. Health-care providers need to identify at-risk parents and provide them with greater psychological and educational support.