Work

Caregiver emotion socialization and child adjustment in context of pediatric cancer.

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: = 5.6 years, range = 2-17 years) were recruited from two children's hospitals to participate in a 1-year longitudinal study. Multilevel models were used to test whether specific dimensions of parent metaemotion philosophy (i.e., awareness and acceptance of their own negative emotions and awareness, acceptance, and coaching of their child's negative emotions) were associated with the level and trajectory of child psychopathology, with treatment intensity and child age as moderators. The trajectory of children's symptom levels over the course of the year differed depending on parent acceptance of their own and their children's negative emotions; other parent metaemotion philosophy dimensions did not predict child adjustment at the end of the first year. Treatment intensity acted as a moderator between all parent metaemotion philosophy dimensions and internalizing symptoms at the end of the year. Although caregiver awareness, acceptance, and coaching of negative emotions seem to be adaptive for children undergoing less intense treatment, these approaches may be less effective in the face of high-intensity treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Source: Journal of Family Psychology

DOI: 10.1037/fam0001323

Authors: Cara S. Guthrie, Sameen Boparai, Debra Friedman, Bruce E. Compas, Lynn Fainsilber Katz

Institutions: University of Washington, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University

Language: English

Topic: Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: National Cancer Institute