Parents' emotion socialization beliefs moderate relations between parent and patient coping, but not sibling coping, with pediatric cancer

Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated (a) differences in parents' emotion socialization (ES) beliefs for patients/siblings, (b) whether parents' ES beliefs predict patient/sibling coping, and (c) whether parents' ES beliefs moderate links between parent and patient/sibling coping with pediatric cancer.

Method: This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study of 134 pediatric cancer patients, their caregiver, and their nearest-age sibling. Participants could complete measures themselves via paper-and-pencil or telephone, or researchers could read questions aloud.

Results: Parents' ES beliefs differed for patients/siblings. ES beliefs did not directly predict patient/sibling coping but did moderate relations between parent and patient coping.

Conclusions: Despite extent literature promoting universal emotion coaching ES, our study indicates that ES beliefs might have a complex relation with parent coping in predicting patient coping.

Keywords: cancer; coping; emotion socialization; oncology; pediatric.