TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychotropic medication use in parents of children diagnosed with cancer
AU - Salem, Hanin
AU - Andersen, Elisabeth Wreford
AU - Dalton, Susanne O.
AU - Schmiegelow, Kjeld
AU - Winther, Jeanette Falck
AU - Lichtenthal, Wendy G.
AU - Johansen, Christoffer
AU - Bidstrup, Pernille E.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - BACKGROUND: Objective measures on parental distress after a child’s cancer diagnosis are sparse. We examined the risk for first prescription of psychotropic medicine among parents of children with cancer compared with parents of children who were cancer free. In addition, we examined if sociodemographic and clinical characteristics are associated with risk of first prescription of psychotropic medication in parents of children with cancer. METHODS: We followed all parents of children with cancer (N = 6744) from the Danish Cancer Registry (1998–2014) using parents of matched children who were cancer free (N = 65 747) as a comparison. To identify vulnerable subgroups among parents of children with cancer, we followed all parents of children with cancer from the Childhood Cancer Registry (2003–2015; N = 3290 parents). In Cox proportional hazard models, we estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for a first prescription of psychotropic medication according to cancer status of the child and sociodemographic and clinical risk factors. RESULTS: Parents of children with cancer were at increased risk for a first prescription of psychotropic medication compared with parents of children who were cancer free up to 2 years after the diagnosis, the risk being highest in the first year (HR, 1.83 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.66–2.01]). Parents of children with cancer, especially parents who lost their child, had an increased risk for a first prescription of hypnotics (HR, 6.91; 95% CI, 3.50–13.66) and anxiolytics (HR, 4.55, 95% CI, 1.57–13.17) in the first year after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts should be made to ensure that medical teams are adequately educated to address stress responses in the parents.
AB - BACKGROUND: Objective measures on parental distress after a child’s cancer diagnosis are sparse. We examined the risk for first prescription of psychotropic medicine among parents of children with cancer compared with parents of children who were cancer free. In addition, we examined if sociodemographic and clinical characteristics are associated with risk of first prescription of psychotropic medication in parents of children with cancer. METHODS: We followed all parents of children with cancer (N = 6744) from the Danish Cancer Registry (1998–2014) using parents of matched children who were cancer free (N = 65 747) as a comparison. To identify vulnerable subgroups among parents of children with cancer, we followed all parents of children with cancer from the Childhood Cancer Registry (2003–2015; N = 3290 parents). In Cox proportional hazard models, we estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for a first prescription of psychotropic medication according to cancer status of the child and sociodemographic and clinical risk factors. RESULTS: Parents of children with cancer were at increased risk for a first prescription of psychotropic medication compared with parents of children who were cancer free up to 2 years after the diagnosis, the risk being highest in the first year (HR, 1.83 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.66–2.01]). Parents of children with cancer, especially parents who lost their child, had an increased risk for a first prescription of hypnotics (HR, 6.91; 95% CI, 3.50–13.66) and anxiolytics (HR, 4.55, 95% CI, 1.57–13.17) in the first year after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts should be made to ensure that medical teams are adequately educated to address stress responses in the parents.
U2 - 10.1542/peds.2018-2605
DO - 10.1542/peds.2018-2605
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 30944153
AN - SCOPUS:85065508389
VL - 143
JO - Pediatrics
JF - Pediatrics
SN - 0031-4005
IS - 5
M1 - e20182605
ER -