Association of resilience with psychological well-being and quality of life for parents of children with cancer

Abstract Purpose This study aimed to examine the interrelationships among resilience, way of coping, psychological well-being, and quality of life among Chinese parents of children with cancer, and identify factors associated with their quality of life. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 119 Chinese parents (primary caregivers) of children with cancer at the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital between January 2020 and March 2022. Parents’ resilience level, way of coping, depressive symptoms, state anxiety scores, perceived social support, and quality of life were assessed. Results Participating parents (N = 119) included 98 mothers (82.4%) and 11 parents were from single-parent families (9.2%). Almost half (47.9%) of the parents were potentially at risk for depression. The results showed that participants from single-parent families reported statistically significantly lower levels of resilience (P < .001), more depressive symptoms (P < .001), and poorer quality of life (P < .001) than those who lived with their partners (married). In addition, parents who adopted problem-focused coping strategies reported statistically significantly higher levels of resilience (P < .001), fewer depressive symptoms (P < .001), and better quality of life (P < .001) than those who adopted emotion-focused coping strategies. A multiple regression analysis revealed that resilience (P < .001) was associated with quality of life among parents of children with cancer. Conclusions This study provides further support that resilience is an important factor associated with quality of life among parents of children with cancer. Assessing resilience in these parents is an important prerequisite for designing appropriate psychological interventions to increase their resilience and enhance their psychological well-being and quality of life.