Anne-Marie Tougas

The Potential Role of Benefit and Burden Finding in School Engagement ofYoung Leukemia Survivors: An Exploratory Study

Childhood cancer may radically change the daily lives of young survivors, particularly in school. Depending on the sense they derive from the experience of illness, survivors may go through profound transformations in the way they approach life. Using a mixed methods approach, this exploratory study reports on school engagement of cancer survivors by examining their perceptions of benefits and burdens in relation to their illness. Forty-nine young Quebecers, previously diagnosed and treated for leukemia, completed a questionnaire measuring their school engagement and participated in an interview focusing on the impact of cancer on their lives. Perceptions with regard to the presence and types of benefits and burdens were described and examined in light of participants’ characteristics. An analysis of variance explored if the presence/absence of benefits and burdens were associated with participants’ scores regarding school engagement. Most participants mentioned benefits from having had cancer, and in particular benefits at an interpersonal level. Half of the participants mentioned burdens, mainly of a physical and psychological nature. Significant correlations indicated that 1) the older survivors were, the more likely they were to report benefits in terms of qualities and strengths of character, and 2) the more time had elapsed since their diagnosis, the more survivors were likely to report psychological types of burdens. A main effect indicated that school engagement was greater for survivors who perceived the presence of benefits. An interaction effect revealed that the perception of both benefits and burdens predicts the highest scores of school engagement. While the results reveal the promising potential that an optimistic yet realistic disposition has in regard to school engagement, more research is necessary to further our understanding of such a disposition, as well as its potential to contribute to the adaptation of young cancer survivors within the various spheres of their lives.

Types and Influence of Social Support on School Engagement of Young Survivors of Leukemia

The present study aimed to describe and explore the influence of social support on the school engagement of young survivors of pediatric leukemia. Fifty-three young Quebecers, previously diagnosed and treated for leukemia, completed a questionnaire measuring their school engagement and participated in an interview focusing on the support offered by four groups of relations with regard to school: parents, siblings, friends, and other nonprofessional relations. The interview responses revealed that parents were perceived to be the primary source of informational and emotional support, with support also provided to a lesser extent by friends, siblings, and members of the extended family. Inferential analyses indicated that young survivors report a higher school engagement score when they perceive themselves as receiving support from a greater number of groups of relations, especially from friends or siblings.

Psychosocial Profile of Children Having Participated in an Intervention Program for Their Sexual Behavior Problems: The Predictor Role of Maltreatment

ABSTRACT This study sought to verify if a history of maltreatment may predict the psychosocial profile of children who participated in an intervention program aiming at reducing sexual behavior problems. Data were collected at both the beginning and the end of the intervention program using a clinical protocol and standardized tests selected on the basis of the intervention targets. In general, the results indicate that children who had experienced maltreatment display a psychosocial profile that is similar to that of children who had not experienced maltreatment. However, children who had experienced psychological abuse or neglect may display greater externalized or sexualized behaviors, whereas children who have a parent who had been a victim of sexual abuse may display fewer sexualized behaviors.