Perceived Social Competency in Children With Brain Tumors: Comparison Between Children on and off Therapy

Children with brain tumors are at risk for a number of cognitive, academic, and social difficulties as a consequence of their illness and its treatment. Of these, the least is known about social functioning, particularly over the course of the illness. Thirty children with brain tumors were evaluated using neurocognitive and psychological measures, including a measure of perceived competency. Results indicated that off-therapy brain tumor patients reported more concerns about their social competence than both a normative sample and children on treatment. Findings highlight the need for more research aimed at helping survivors cope with long-term stressors associated with their illness. Keywords pediatric brain tumor, social functioning, perceived competency, late effects Although research on deficits in cognitive functioning following a pediatric brain tumor diagnosis is well-established, studies of social functioning in children with brain tumors have been limited. Indeed, social problems have only recently come to the forefront as a “late effect” with potentially serious complications. For example, recent findings have indicated that children with brain tumors or other cancers requiring treatment to the central nervous system (CNS) are more likely than other cancer survivors to experience social difficulties over time (Barrera, Shaw