TY - JOUR
T1 - Change in Mental Health and Resilience in Childhood Cancer Survivors After Attending a Person-Centred State-of-the-Art Late Effects Clinic-on Behalf of the PanCareFollowUp Consortium
AU - Michel, Gisela
AU - Rijken, Mieke
AU - Kokla, Marietta
AU - Sleurs, Charlotte
AU - Lemiere, Jurgen
AU - Frederiksen, Line Elmerdahl
AU - Mader, Luzius
AU - Follin, Cecilia
AU - Oberti, Sara
AU - Winther, Jeanette Falck
AU - van den Oever, Selina R
AU - Kremer, Leontien C M
AU - van der Pal, Helena J H
AU - Spreeuwenberg, Peter
AU - Bouwman, Eline
AU - Te Dorsthorst, Jeroen
AU - Essiaf, Samira
AU - Feijen, Elizabeth A M Lieke
AU - Gsell, Hannah
AU - Haupt, Riccardo
AU - van Helvoirt, Maria
AU - Hermens, Rosella P M G
AU - Hjorth, Lars
AU - Kepak, Tomas
AU - Kepakova, Katerina
AU - Kienesberger, Anita
AU - Muraca, Monica
AU - Renard, Marleen
AU - Schneider, Carina
AU - Skinner, Roderick
AU - Uyttebroeck, Anne
AU - Vanrusselt, Deveny
AU - Verschueren, Sabine
AU - Loonen, Jacqueline
AU - Pluijm, Saskia M F
AU - Roser, Katharina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 The Author(s). Pediatric Blood & Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
PY - 2026/8/4
Y1 - 2026/8/4
N2 - Background: Person-centred follow-up care based on evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and providing individualised information should help to inform and reassure survivors about their medical and psychosocial situation and provide treatment and support where needed. Aims: To describe changes in mental health and resilience in survivors before and after a person-centred follow-up care intervention and analyse associations of mental health improvements with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: We implemented the novel person-centred PanCareFollowUp Care Intervention in four clinics across Europe. Survivors aged 16+ years (cancer diagnosed at age < 19 years, 5+ years after diagnosis) completed the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18; somatisation, depression, anxiety, overall distress), Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale before (T1) and 6 months after (T2) the clinic visit. We calculated a change score for resilience and a reliable change index for BSI-18 scales and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Results: In total, 798 survivors participated (51.4% males, mean age = 30.3 years [range: 16–60]). Mental health significantly improved, with lower scores for depression (mean change = 0.89, p = 0.001), anxiety (mean change = 0.68, p = 0.025), overall distress (mean change = 0.99, p = 0.004) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (mean change = 1.09, p = 0.004) at T2 as compared to T1. Around one-third of survivors reported significant distress (no change: p = 0.659). Socio-demographic or clinical characteristics were not associated with changes in resilience or overall distress. A reliable reduction of post-traumatic stress symptoms was more likely in those single (p = 0.020), unemployed or in education/studying (p = 0.003) and with poor physical health (p = 0.004). Conclusion: Mental health improved after the person-centred PanCareFollowUp Care Intervention. Inclusion in regular follow-up care may help to decrease survivors’ distress in the long-term. Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Register numbers: NL8918, NL-OMON21449.
AB - Background: Person-centred follow-up care based on evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and providing individualised information should help to inform and reassure survivors about their medical and psychosocial situation and provide treatment and support where needed. Aims: To describe changes in mental health and resilience in survivors before and after a person-centred follow-up care intervention and analyse associations of mental health improvements with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: We implemented the novel person-centred PanCareFollowUp Care Intervention in four clinics across Europe. Survivors aged 16+ years (cancer diagnosed at age < 19 years, 5+ years after diagnosis) completed the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18; somatisation, depression, anxiety, overall distress), Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale before (T1) and 6 months after (T2) the clinic visit. We calculated a change score for resilience and a reliable change index for BSI-18 scales and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Results: In total, 798 survivors participated (51.4% males, mean age = 30.3 years [range: 16–60]). Mental health significantly improved, with lower scores for depression (mean change = 0.89, p = 0.001), anxiety (mean change = 0.68, p = 0.025), overall distress (mean change = 0.99, p = 0.004) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (mean change = 1.09, p = 0.004) at T2 as compared to T1. Around one-third of survivors reported significant distress (no change: p = 0.659). Socio-demographic or clinical characteristics were not associated with changes in resilience or overall distress. A reliable reduction of post-traumatic stress symptoms was more likely in those single (p = 0.020), unemployed or in education/studying (p = 0.003) and with poor physical health (p = 0.004). Conclusion: Mental health improved after the person-centred PanCareFollowUp Care Intervention. Inclusion in regular follow-up care may help to decrease survivors’ distress in the long-term. Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Register numbers: NL8918, NL-OMON21449.
KW - anxiety
KW - depression
KW - distress
KW - mental health
KW - person-centred follow-up care
KW - resilience
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105047364725
U2 - 10.1002/1545-5017.70611
DO - 10.1002/1545-5017.70611
M3 - Article
C2 - 42550043
SN - 1545-5009
VL - 73
JO - Pediatric Blood & Cancer
JF - Pediatric Blood & Cancer
IS - 10
M1 - e70611
ER -