# DISTRESS IN PEDIATRIC CANCER PATIENTS AND THEIR PARENTS

> **NIH NIH R01** · CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF LOS ANGELES · 1987 · $102,208

## Abstract

Bone marrow aspirations (BMA's) are a highly stressful event for pediatric
cancer patients, as well as their parents.  The primary aims of this study
are:  a) to evaluate the efficacy of a stress-reduction program for
parents, and b) to determine if the efficacy of Valium in reducing
children's distress associated with BMA's can be significantly improved
upon by the addition of a cognitive-behavioral intervention package.
Subjects will be 75 English- and Spanish-speaking leukemia patients, ages
4-12, and their parent(s).  The design of the study is a 2 (Child
Intervention Conditions) x 2 (Parent Intervention Conditions) x 2 (Trials)
mixed factorial design.  The intervention conditions for the child include
a Valium only condition and Valium plus a Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Package (modeling, breathing exercises, positive reinforcement,
imagery-distraction, and behavioral rehearsal) condition.  The intervention
conditions for the parent(s) include a no intervention condition and a
"Stress Inoculation" intervention condition, the components of which
include cognitive restructuring, relaxation, and attention distraction.
Subjects will be in the study for 2 consecutive BMA's:  a pre-intervention
baseline procedure and a post-intervention BMA.  Dependent measures of
children's distress include behavioral observations, self-reports of fear
and pain, and physiological measures (pulse and blood pressure).  Parental
distress will be measured through self-report measures of anxiety, coping
difficulty, and muscle tension, physiological measures of distress (pulse
and heart rate), and a Cognitive Distortions Scale.  Data analysis will be
conducted using 2x2x2 analyses of variance.  The study should be a
significant contribution to the literature in that the issue of reducing
parents' stress associated with their children's BMA's has never before
been addressed empirically.  Furthermore, this study may lead to the
discovery of ways to reduce children's distress to the lowest levels that
would be realistically obtainable.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3172695
- **Project number:** 5R01CA034871-06
- **Recipient organization:** CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF LOS ANGELES
- **SAM.gov UEI:** DVL1CMRMWRN9
- **Principal Investigator:** SUSAN M JAY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $102,208
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1982-09-30 → 1988-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3172695

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3172695, DISTRESS IN PEDIATRIC CANCER PATIENTS AND THEIR PARENTS (5R01CA034871-06). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3172695. Licensed CC0.

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