Relationship Between Post-Treatment Intellectual Functioning and Long-Term Social Functioning in Survivors of Pediatric Cancer

Abstract

The current study sought 1) to determine whether post-treatment intellectual functioning was associated with current levels of emotional, behavioral, and social functioning in survivors of pediatric cancer; and 2) whether survivors of pediatric brain tumors differed from survivors of other types of pediatric cancer on measures of social functioning. Participants included 30 children and adolescents who underwent treatment for childhood cancer, and received a post-treatment neuropsychological evaluation. Child participants completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd Edition (BASC-2), the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire (LSDQ), the Social Support Scale for Children, and the Self-Perception Profile. The parent participants rated their child's current functioning using the BASC-2, and a revised version of the LSDQ. Results revealed that post-treatment intellectual functioning was not related to current adjustment outcomes. Further, survivors of pediatric brain tumors reported significantly higher levels of current perceived social competence than survivors of other types of pediatric cancer.