Coping strategies used by caregivers of children with newly diagnosed brain tumors.

In BriefThe authors interviewed families whose children had recently been hospitalized with a new brain tumor. From these interviews, they identified parents' coping strategies for handling the stress of having a child with a newly diagnosed tumor. Some strategies are considered "adaptive" and help parents deal with the stress better. Others are "maladaptive," leading to worse outcomes. Parents of children with brain tumors are at risk for maladaptive coping. Efforts to teach parents how to cope effectively with the stress of a sick child have the potential to improve outcomes.