Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 30:519–534, 2012 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0734-7332 print / 1540-7586 online DOI: 10.1080/07347332.2012.703765 Psychological Distress Among Adolescents Living with a Parent with Advanced Cancer FRANC ¸ OIS RAINVILLE, MSW Michel-Sarrazin Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care Research Team, Laval University Cancer Research Centre, Qu´ ebec City, QC, Canada SERGE DUMONT, PhD Michel-Sarrazin Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care Research Team, Laval University Cancer Research Centre, School of Social Work, Laval University, Qu´ ebec City, QC, Canada S ´ EBASTIEN SIMARD, PhD Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Qu´ ebec, Qu´ ebec City, QC, Canada MARIE-H ´ EL ` ENE SAVARD, PhD Centre des maladies du sein Deschˆ enes-Fabia, Hˆ opital St-Sacrement du CHA, Qu´ ebec City, QC, Canada The objective of this exploratory study was to evaluate the impact of advanced parental cancer on adolescents’ psychological status. A sample of 28 adolescents, having a parent with advanced can- cer, was recruited and compared with a sample from the general population (N = 2,346). Late adolescents (age 15 to 18) experi- enced significantly more psychological distress than early adoles- cents (age 12 to 14). Moreover, late adolescents experienced signifi- cantly higher psychological distress than the general population for the same age group, which was not the case for early adolescents. Implications for adolescents living in families touched by advanced cancer are discussed. KEYWORDS oncology, cancer, parental cancer, advanced can- cer, psychological distress, adolescents This study was part of a master’s degree in social work obtained at Laval University. The student responsible for this study received funds from the Canadian Institute of Health Re- search Strategic Training Program in Palliative Care Research, Fonds Qu´ eb´ ecois de recherche sur la soci´ et´ e et la culture, Centre de recherche de l’Hˆ otel-Dieu de Qu´ ebec and Laval Univer- sity Chair of Palliative Care. Address correspondence to Franc ¸ois Rainville, MSW, Laval University Cancer Research Centre, Hˆ otel-Dieu de Qu´ ebec, 9 rue McMahon, Qu´ ebec City, QC, Canada, G1R 2J6. E-mail: francoisrainville_deuil@yahoo.ca 519 Downloaded by [Universite Laval] at 06:24 29 April 2014