Exploring the psychological outcomes of cancer diagnosis on parental role and parent–child relationships: validation of the Italian Parenting Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ)

Despite the widespread prevalence of cancer diagnoses among parents of underage children, there is a limited body of research in this specific area, and even fewer tools have been developed to assess the impact of cancer on parenting roles. The present cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ), including its convergent validity with parents’ and children’s psychological distress. A total of 411 adults with cancer and minor children (i.e., < 18 years old; mean age = 12.15 years; SD = 5.11) completed the PCQ and measures of anxiety, depression, children’s emotional and behavioral problems, and quality of parent–child relationship. Statistical analyses indicated good psychometric properties of the PCQ and demonstrated small to moderate correlations with the psychological distress experienced by both parents (anxiety and depression) and children (emotional and behavioral problems). The PCQ proves to be a valuable screening tool that can be easily used by healthcare professionals to identify specific parenting concerns and challenges faced by parents with cancer.