Marie Vander Haegen

Stress, Psychosocial Mediators, and Cognitive Mediators in Parents of Child Cancer Patients and Cancer Survivors: Attention and Working Memory Pathway Perspectives

Objective: This review examines stress and its consequences on attention and working memory, stress symptoms in parents of child cancer patients and survivors and long-term consequences of stress on cognitive processing in parents of child cancer survivors. Method: Eligible studies were experimental, meta-analyses, and qualitative (2000–2013) from Pubmed, Medline, the Cochrane Library, PsycArticles, and Google Scholar. Results: We identified 92 eligible papers. They showed that elevated stress can impede performances on tasks requiring attention and memory patterns. In pediatric oncology, parental stress increased shortly after diagnosis involving depression and anxiety. Consequences of stress on cognitive performances were observed mainly among depressed individuals. As regards parents of child cancer survivors, female gender, low Socioeconomic Status (SES), and innate traits of anxiety/anger predicted the development of PTSS. Conclusion: Evidence of stress on attention and working memory processes in parents of child cancer survivors is insufficiently developed.

Intolerance of uncertainty as the vulnerability factor among parents of childhood cancer survivors: A 3-month follow-up study

ABSTRACT Purpose: In a 3-month follow-up study, we assessed the intolerance of uncertainty in 61 parents of a childhood cancer survivor. The objective was to compare its prevalence over time. We tested these parents twice i.e., at treatment completion (time 1) and 3 months later (time 2). We hypothesized that this personality factor stayed stable and had aversive effects on cognitive processes. Findings: Noticeable intolerance of uncertainty rates were found. At both assessments, results showed that this factor was central in the development of excessive worries, poor problem orientation, rumination, cognitive avoidance and positive beliefs about worry. Repeated measures revealed a decrease for anxiety and cognitive avoidance, and an increased level for somatic symptoms. Conclusions: Parents who are intolerant of uncertainty are at risk to display dysfunctional behaviors over time. Sensitizing health care professionals to the identification of this factor and its associated difficulties is essential for the implementation of efficient intervention strategies.

Cognitive processes across anxiety disorders related to intolerance of uncertainty: Clinical review

Abstract Objective: Being a relatively recent concept, the intolerance of uncertainty (IU) suffers from inconsistent definitions and conceptual overlap. The core objective of the study is to clarify its clinical manifestations and its involved cognitive processes. Method: The procedure is based on algorithms (equations of keywords) encoded simultaneously in databases (Scopus, PubMed, and PsycArticles). Results are filtered by the year (range of 10 years [2005–2015] because it is a recent concept) and the relevance of abstracts. Once the studies are appraised, results are categorized in two groups: studies which examine the IU in a clinical perspective (relations with one or several anxiety disorders) (cluster A) and those which measure the IU through a cognitive perspective (cognition, metacognition) (cluster B). Results: 66 results are retrieved: 50 results concern the cluster A and 16 examine the cluster B. The state of the IU varies between studies (e.g. predictor and mediator), which make comparisons difficult. Notwithstanding, the IU construct seems to be a broad transdiagnostic maintaining risk factor involved in a range of psychological disorders. Conclusion: This clustering supported that researchers and clinicians may benefit from incorporating IU within cognitive and computational research design and as a specific treatment target.