Temperament and social behavior in pediatric brain tumor survivors and comparison peers

Christina G Salley; Larissa L Hewitt; Andrea F Patenaude; Michael W Vasey; Keith O Yeates; Cynthia A Gerhardt; Kathryn Vannatta

doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsu083

Temperament and social behavior in pediatric brain tumor survivors and comparison peers

J Pediatr Psychol. 2015 Apr;40(3):297-308. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsu083. Epub 2014 Oct 6.

Authors

Christina G Salley¹, Larissa L Hewitt², Andrea F Patenaude³, Michael W Vasey², Keith O Yeates³, Cynthia A Gerhardt³, Kathryn Vannatta³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, and Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital salleyc@mskcc.org.
² Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, and Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, and Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, and Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the role of temperament (i.e., surgency/positive affect, negative affect, and effortful control) in the social behavior of pediatric brain tumor survivors and comparison classmates.

Methods: Parent-, peer-, and self-report data were collected for 75 children after treatment for a brain tumor, and 67 comparison classmates. Tests of mediation and moderated mediation were run to examine whether effortful control accounted for group differences in social behavior and whether this indirect effect was moderated by surgency/positive or negative affectivity.

Results: Peers described survivors as lower in Leadership-popularity and higher in Sensitivity-isolation and victimization than comparison classmates. Parent and self-report of surgency/positive affect revealed survivors were lower on this dimension. Survivors were rated by parents as demonstrating less effortful control. Effortful control did not consistently account for group differences in social behavior. There was limited evidence of moderated mediation.

Conclusions: Research on the implications of potential changes in temperament following treatment is warranted.

Keywords: brain tumor; pediatric; social; temperament.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Brain Neoplasms / psychology*
Child
Female
Humans
Male
Parents / psychology
Peer Group*
Social Behavior*
Social Isolation
Survivors / psychology*
Temperament*

Grants and funding

R03 CA138122-02/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States