[Post-traumatic stress symptoms in parents of children with cancer: An exploratory study on the role of spousal support].
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Introduction Many parents of children diagnosed with cancer report post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Although several studies have demonstrated the protective role of social support against PTSS, none have specifically examined the influence of spousal support, which is typically reported as the main source of support by these parents. Objectives This study aimed to examine the influence of spousal support on PTSS. More specifically, it sought to 1) determine whether the level of spousal support received is associated with the level of PTSS and 2) assess whether the type of spousal support received is associated with the level of PTSS. Method This exploratory analysis is based on data collected between 2022 and 2023. The sample included 53 parents of children who had received a first cancer diagnosis within the past 12 months. Participants completed the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the support subscale of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool. A one-way ANOVA and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests were conducted. Results On average, participants scored 30.7 on the IES-R, with 43% of the sample exceeding the clinical threshold for PTSS. Spousal support emerged as the main source of support, particularly for emotional support (90.57%) and daily tasks (90.57%). Nearly half of the participants (47.17%) received support from their partner across all domains. However, no statistically significant associations were found between either the level or type of spousal support and PTSS, and effect sizes were small. Conclusion Although no significant associations were observed between spousal support and PTSS, this study highlights an important finding: in this sample, more than 1 in 3 parents appeared to experience PTSS warranting specialized psychological care following a child's cancer diagnosis in Quebec. These findings underscore the need for systematic screening and targeted interventions for this population. Future research with larger and more diverse samples, as well as more detailed measures of spousal support, will be needed to better understand the mechanisms involved.