Impact of Survivorship Care on Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer With Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms.
OBJECTIVES To assess post traumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) in young adult survivors of childhood cancer not receiving survivorship care and to determine whether attending a survivorship focused healthcare visit was associated with changes in PTSSs. SAMPLE SETTING 44 young adult survivors from the Yale Cancer Center in Connecticut without prior survivorship clinic attendance. METHODS VARIABLES As part of a larger trial, participants were randomized to a model of survivorship focused health care. The University of California at Los Angeles Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Reaction Index assessed PTSS severity and frequency before and after the visit. RESULTS At baseline, almost half of the participants were classified as partial PTSD likely or PTSD likely. Many met criteria for elevated levels of individual symptoms, particularly avoidance or numbing. At follow up, PTSSs did not differ significantly from baseline. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Survivorship care should be encouraged by nurses in healthcare settings that do not specialize in caring for long term survivors. Nurses should facilitate screening for PTSSs and promote interventions among survivors completing cancer therapy to help them transition to survivorship care.
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