Received: October 30, 2017 Revised: November 15, 2017 Accepted: December 20, 2017
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to carry out a program of filial therapy for mothers of children with cancer that would improve family function, and to verify whether it was effective in alleviating parenting stress and children’s behavior problems. This study was done as a pretest-posttest control group design. Before the filial therapy program, the experimental group and control group took a pretest about their family function, parenting stress and children's behavior problems. Then the experimental group took part in a filial therapy program and they applied what they learned to their children. Lastly, both the experimental group and control group took a posttest about their family function, parenting stress and children's behavior problems. In order to determine the efficacy of the study and compare demographical characteristics between the experimental group and the control group; SPSS Statistics V24, t-test verification and cross analysis were conducted. The results were as follows: first of all, family cohesion and family adaptability as a sub-factor of family function were improved; second, suppression and depression as sub-factors of parenting stress were alleviated; third, problems with attention as a sub-factor of behavior problems and other problems were alleviated. These results indicate that filial therapy has a positive effect on mothers of children with cancer, family function, parenting stress and children’s behavior problems.