Psychosocial Impact Upon Families of Children with Leukemia at Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Baghdad City

Abstract

Background: Cancer is a term referring to a disease in which cells divide abnormally without control and can attack surrounding tissues. The incidence of childhood cancer in the world is about 2-4%. Each year, there are 11,000 cases of childhood cancer and 10% of them are fatal. Cancer care can interfere with parents' quality of life as informal primary caregivers.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the psychosocial impact on the families of children with leukemia and to provide psychological support to children during the treatment period.

Study methodology: A descriptive study was conducted by applying a quantitative design in Baghdad city hospitals. This study was Conducted at 3rd December 2024 to the 15th February 2025. and a non-probability sample (purposeful sample) was selected from (50) families, all of the sample was collected from Children's Central Hospital for Hematology and Medicine City. A questionnaire was developed for the purpose of the study and it included two parts consisting of the first part of demographic data, and it consists of 13 questions related to age, gender, etc., and the second part is the effect of the leukemia child on their families and consists of (22) questions. The total of the questions included (35) questions.

Results: The results of the current study indicate that there is a correlation between the psychosocial impact with demographic variables (parents' age, child's age, child's sequence in the family, number of brothers and sisters, parents' relationship with each other), where the statistical significance of the P-value ranged between (0.00 and 0.05), which Indicates that a child with leukemia has a moderate to high impact on the family.

Conclusions: The study concluded that there is a psychosocial impact on the family, where the P value of the association was less than 0.005. It turns out that the psychosocial pressure on the family is high because they do not go out, meet their friends and relatives, or take a walk because of their child's illness and care.

Recommendations: Providing psychological and social programs for parents of children with leukemia to reduce stress in the family and activate the role of psychiatric nurses and social workers in children's hospitals. Provide more age-appropriate information in a range of formats, as well as information in different languages where appropriate.