Reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the psychosocial assessment tool for families of children with cancer

Translation and validation of a simplified Chinese version of the psychosocial assessment tool

BACKGROUND

The Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT2.0) is widely used to assess psychosocial risk in families of children with cancer. Our study aims to apply PAT2.0 to Chinese patients and assess the reliability, content validity, and construct validity of the Chinese version.

METHODS

A total of 161 participants completed the study, each with only one child diagnosed with cancer. Psychometric evaluations, including internal consistency, score distribution, test-retest reliability, and construct validity, were conducted.

RESULTS

Cronbach's alpha values ranged from 0.732 to 0.843, indicating good internal consistency. Additionally, intraclass correlation coefficient values ranged from 0.869 to 0.984, indicating excellent test-retest reliability. The Simplified Chinese version of PAT2.0 demonstrated high construct validity in factor analyses and correlations with the General Functioning Subscale of the Family Assessment Device.

CONCLUSION

The translation process of the Chinese version of PAT2.0 was successful, proving its applicability for psychosocial evaluation and interventions in families of children with cancer in China.

Psychosocial Factors Predicting Resilience in Family Caregivers of Children with Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study

Chronic diseases in childhood can affect the physical and mental health of patients and their families. The objective of this study was to identify the sociodemographic and psychosocial factors that predict resilience in family caregivers of children with cancer and to define whether there are differences in the levels of resilience derived from these sociodemographic variables. Three hundred and thirty family caregivers of children with cancer, with an average age of 32.6 years were interviewed. The caregivers responded to a battery of tests that included a questionnaire of sociodemographic variables, the Measuring Scale of Resilience, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Inventory of Quality of Life, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, an interview of caregiver burden and the World Health Organization Well-Being Index. The main findings indicate that family caregivers of children with cancer reported high levels of resilience, which were associated positively with quality of life, psychological well-being and years of study and associated negatively with depression, anxiety and caregiver burden. The variables that predicted resilience in families of children with cancer were quality of life, psychological well-being, depression and number of children. Family caregivers who were married and Catholic showed higher resilience scores. We conclude that being a caregiver in a family with children with cancer is associated with symptoms of anxiety and with depressive episodes. These issues can be overcome through family strength, well-being, quality of life and positive adaptation processes and mobilization of family resources.

Screening for caregiver psychosocial risk in children with medical complexity: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To quantify psychosocial risk in family caregivers of children with medical complexity using the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT) and to investigate potential contributing sociodemographic factors.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Family caregivers completed questionnaires during long-term ventilation and complex care clinic visits at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

PATIENTS

A total of 136 family caregivers of children with medical complexity completed the PAT questionnaires from 30 June 2017 through 23 August 2017.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Mean PAT scores in family caregivers of children with medical complexity. Caregivers were stratified as 'Universal' low risk, 'Targeted' intermediate risk or 'Clinical' high risk. The effect of sociodemographic variables on overall PAT scores was also examined using multiple linear regression analysis. Comparisons with previous paediatric studies were made using T-test statistics.

RESULTS

136 (103 females (76%)) family caregivers completed the study. Mean PAT score was 1.17 (SD=0.74), indicative of 'Targeted' intermediate risk. Sixty-one (45%) caregivers were classified as Universal risk, 60 (44%) as Targeted risk and 15 (11%) as Clinical risk. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed an overall significant model (p=0.04); however, no particular sociodemographic factor was a significant predictor of total PAT scores.

CONCLUSION

Family caregivers of children with medical complexity report PAT scores among the highest of all previously studied paediatric populations. These caregivers experience significant psychosocial risk, demonstrated by larger proportions of caregivers in the highest-risk Clinical category.