Relationship of affective and cognitive components of subjective well-being with quality of life and coping with stress in the process of transplanting hematopoietic stem cells (HSCT) in children and caring parents

<p><strong>Relevance.</strong> The study of subjective well-being (CWB) allows to more fully study the contribution of individual factors in quality of life (QOL) and adaptation, to investigate the dynamic relationship of its affective and cognitive components in a special situation of co-existence with stress during treatment. <strong>Research objectives</strong> were to study parameters, dynamics and interrelations of patients’ and their parents’ CWB with QOL and copings in 3 stages of HSCT. <strong>Materials and methods.</strong> 47 patients (8—18 years, M=12.7; SD=2.58) and their parents (M=40; SD=6.14) were examined during conditioning, at +3 and +12 weeks of HSCT. <strong>Results.</strong> Children’ CWB gradually rise together with QOL, while parents’ CWB and QOL are below in the conditioning stage and +3 months from HSCT. The affective component of CWB is more dynamic and sensitive to the conditions of a stressful situation, marking the area that causes the greatest tension of coping strategies. Adolescents are more sensitive to the psychological stresses of HSCT, their negative affect level is higher, and they use self-blame and anxiety more often as coping strategies. Higher education of parents is related to their more effective copings, while loss of work reduces CWB and QOL. <strong>Conclusions.</strong> The special needs, tasks and nature of relationships with social reality the availability of higher cognitive ways of processing stress influence QOL and adaptation in treatment process in patients and their parents.</p>