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Depression in parents of children with leukemia in southern China accompanied by the prevalence of type D personality

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Abstract

Purpose

The aims of this study were to assess depression and type D personality in parents of children with leukemia in southern China and to investigate the associations between parents’ depression and type D personality, social support, coping style, and demographic characteristics.

Methods

Parents (n = 231) of children with leukemia (study group) and parents (n = 261) of children with acute respiratory/digestive infections (control group) were recruited from five hospitals in southern China. Children’s clinical characteristics and parents’ demographic characteristics, depression, type D personality, coping styles, and social support were collected with self-report questionnaires.

Results

Parents of children with leukemia, especially mothers, reported higher levels of depression accompanied by a higher prevalence of type D personality, more negative coping styles, and less subjective social support, but received more objective social support than controls (P < 0.05). The depression in parents in the study group was positively correlated with type D personality and negative coping style, but negatively correlated with social support and positive coping styles (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that type D personality (OR = 5.64, P < 0.001), lower social support (OR = 2.38, P = 0.020), and less positive coping (OR = 3.32, P = 0.003) were independently associated with depression in parents of children with leukemia. As for demographic characteristics, female, lower education level, unemployed, and paying medical expenses at one’s own expenses were independent predictors of depression in parents of children with leukemia.

Conclusion

Depression and type D personality were remarkably prevalent in parents of children with leukemia in southern China. Type D personality and multiple social factors were associated with depression in parents of children with leukemia.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by NSFC (91029742, 81170647, and 81370837 to Hui Huang), Fok Ying-Tong Education Foundation for Young Teachers in the Higher Education Institutions of China (132030), Yat-sen Scholarship for Young Scientists, the Science &Technology Star of Zhujiang (Guangzhou), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (9151008901000105), and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Computational Science at the Sun Yat-sen University to Hui Huang.

Conflict of interest

All named authors have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, Guangzhou, China

    Jie Chen, Yang Liu, Tong Wang, Jingfeng Wang & Hui Huang

  2. Department of Cardiology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 107 West Yanjiang Road, Guangzhou, 510120, China

    Yang Liu, Jingfeng Wang & Hui Huang

  3. Radiotherapy Department, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Jie Chen & Yimin Liu

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Qingqing Cai

  5. Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University (Northern Campus), 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou, 510080, China

    Wei-qing Chen

Authors
  1. Jie Chen
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  2. Yang Liu
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  3. Qingqing Cai
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  4. Yimin Liu
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  5. Tong Wang
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  6. Jingfeng Wang
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  7. Wei-qing Chen
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  8. Hui Huang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Wei-qing Chen or Hui Huang.

Additional information

Jie Chen, Yang Liu, and Qingqing Cai contributed equally to the development of this research study.

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Chen, J., Liu, Y., Cai, Q. et al. Depression in parents of children with leukemia in southern China accompanied by the prevalence of type D personality. Support Care Cancer 22, 1277–1286 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-2082-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-2082-2

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