Metacognitive aspects influence subjective well-being in parents of children with cancer

OBJECTIVE: Research suggests that metacognitive beliefs may be involved in psychological distress and even in the pathogenesis of emotional disorders. The present research is a first attempt to investigate how certain metacognitive aspects operate as favorable or adverse factors influencing subjective well-being (SWB) in the parents of children with cancer. METHOD: Thirty parents of children being treated for cancer completed questionnaires on their metacognitive beliefs (Metacognition Questionnaire), sensitivity to autobiographical memory, and self-reported measures of positive and negative affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule). Results in the study group were compared with those obtained from 36 control parents of children being treated for acute, not life-threatening illnesses (hospitalized control group) and from 30 control parents of healthy children (healthy control group). RESULTS: Parents in both the study group and the hospitalized control group reported less SWB than the healthy control group. Most important, metacognitive aspects explained up to 77% of the variance in SWB in parents of children with cancer, as opposed to only 23% in hospitalized control group and 33% in the healthy control group. CONCLUSION: Different metacognitive aspects have a crucial role-both negative and positive-in SWB of parents of children with cancer. It is suggested that the psychological support for parents coping with a child suffering from oncological disease should assess such aspects and try to address them in clinical practice.