The Perceived Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health Status of Adolescent and Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer and the Development of a Knowledge Translation Tool to Support Their Information Needs

Sharon H J Hou; Andrew Tran; Sara Cho; Caitlin Forbes; Victoria J Forster; Mehak Stokoe; Elleine Allapitan; Claire E Wakefield; Lori Wiener; Lauren C Heathcote; Gisela Michel; Pandora Patterson; Kathleen Reynolds; Fiona S M Schulte

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.867151

The Perceived Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health Status of Adolescent and Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer and the Development of a Knowledge Translation Tool to Support Their Information Needs

Front Psychol. 2022 May 30:13:867151. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.867151. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Sharon H J Hou^{1

2}, Andrew Tran¹, Sara Cho¹, Caitlin Forbes¹, Victoria J Forster³, Mehak Stokoe¹, Elleine Allapitan¹, Claire E Wakefield^{4

5}, Lori Wiener⁶, Lauren C Heathcote⁷, Gisela Michel⁸, Pandora Patterson^{9

10}, Kathleen Reynolds^{11

12}, Fiona S M Schulte^{1

11}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oncology, Division of Psychosocial Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
² Department of Psychology, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
³ The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁴ School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁵ Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
⁶ Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States.
⁷ Health Psychology Section, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
⁸ Department Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland.
⁹ Research, Evaluation and Policy Unit, Canteen Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
¹⁰ Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
¹¹ Long Term Survivor's Clinic, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, AB, Canada.
¹² Department of Medicine, Faculty of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.

Abstract

Background: Adolescent and young adult (AYA; 13 to 39 years) survivors of childhood cancer may be especially vulnerable to physical health and mental health concerns during the pandemic. We investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health status of AYA survivors (Aim 1) and shared tailored, evidence-based health-related information on COVID-19 (Aim 2).

Methods: Between May and June 2020, participants completed a cross-sectional online survey assessing their cancer history, current mental health status, and their COVID-19 information needs.

Results: Ninety-four participants (78 females, 13 males, 2 non-binary) with a mean age of 26.9 years (SD = 6.2) were included in the final sample. Participants reported residing from 10 countries and 94% identified as White. Nearly half of the participants (49%) described their mental health status as worse now than before the pandemic. Thirty-nine participants (41%) that indicated their current mental health status was tied to fears/worries about their past cancer and treatment experienced a higher level of anxiety and PTSS than those who did not report the same. Most participants (77%) had not received any information related to the potential risks of COVID-19 and expressed an interest in receiving this information. In response, an infographic detailing recommended strategies for coping with mental health problems in the pandemic, along with preliminary study findings, was developed.

Discussion: AYA survivors reporting their mental health status was linked to their past cancer experienced poorer mental health. There is a value to educating survivors on their potential health risks, but accounting for their perceived mental health vulnerabilities should be considered when disseminating knowledge. The use of an infographic is a unique contribution towards the development of innovative and personalized means of sharing health education to this vulnerable yet resilient group. This research on the mental health status of AYA survivors very early in the pandemic informs continued initiatives investigating the rapidly changing nature of how COVID-19 may impact AYA survivors today and in the future.

Keywords: COVID-19; adolescent and young adult cancer; mental health; pediatric oncology; psychosocial oncology; survivors of childhood cancer.