Evaluation of stress, anxiety and hopelessness status among parents of hematology and oncology patients in childhood

Today, the needs and supports are arising in providing psychological and social necessities of the patient and parents in terms of treatment and prolonged survival duration of children with cancer. Nurses have a great responsibility in meeting the needs of patients and their relatives with regard to the physiological and psychosocial aspects during treatment. In the present study, we conducted surveys to evaluate the difficulties and moods encountered by the families of the children with cancer who are hospitalized in hematology and oncology cliniques after learning the diagnosis of the diseases. We evaluated the difficulties encountered by a total number of 63 individuals based on their social and economic status, by using a cross-sectional method in which the surveys were filled by the families of patients hospitalized in private and state hospitals; and collected the findings of attitudes and behaviors against stress, anxiety and hopelessness determining their moods. The most challenging situation in treatment was detected to be the economic status as stated by 74.6% of participants, the heavy charges in care by 50.79%, feeling their child would be day in every day by 52.38%, keeping away the child from other children in their families by 63.49%, and hopelessness for a total cure of their child by 36.51%. 71.4% of participants considered that the disease did not decrease their love to their other children, 87.3% received support from other family members for the care of patient, 87.3% were not affected from prolonged treatment duration, 77.8% felt hope and enthusiasm for the future, and 81% stated to relax by knowing that everything would not always be like this even when things are getting worse. The elevated levels of State-trait anxiety inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Future Emotions, Motivation Lost and Future Expectations resulted in decrease in levels of continuous coping styles, self-confident approach and optimistic approach (p<0,05), and increase in level of helpless approach (p<0,05). The elevated levels of Beck Hopelessness Scale, Future Emotions, Motivation Lost and Future Expectations caused an increase in the state anxiety levels and continuous anxiety levels (p<0,05). Result of the exact knowledge of cancer disease among families is crucial to decrease their fears and concerns in future, in point of depression depending on acceptability of the cancer disease at early ages, and physical and psychological challenges in patient care. In this study, a training for the patients' families is suggested to make them feel better and to reduce their stress, anxiety and hopelessness.