背景：癌症已成為全球的健康問題，癌症所帶來的衝擊不只是個人，更包含整個家庭。近年來，罹癌的年齡層有 年輕化的趨勢，象徵著越來越多的未成年的子女面臨父母罹癌事件的影響。父母罹癌後，具憂鬱問題者比 率不低，因大多母親為主要照顧者，其憂鬱情緒對於子女的影響更勝於父親，家庭功能亦同時受到影響。 而青少年子女常因承擔父母罹癌後的家務與情緒照顧等責任，與其原本生命週期發展任務產生衝突。
目的：探討罹癌母親的憂鬱程度、家庭功能和青少年子女行為表現，及三者間的關係。
方法：橫斷式、描述相關性研究，採立意取樣方式，於南部某醫學中心門診及病房，共收案82位育有一位（含）以 上，年齡在12 - 18歲青少年子女的罹癌母親參與本研究。
結果：顯示約34.1%(« = 28)的罹癌母親有憂鬱傾向，其中只有10.7%(« = 3)尋求醫療專業協助。罹癌母親的憂鬱程 度與家庭功能呈顯著負相關，罹癌母親的憂鬱程度與青少年子女的行為表現呈顯著正相關；家庭功能與青少年子女的行為表現呈顯著負相關。
結論/實務應用：本研究可幫助癌症專業照護人員瞭解母親罹癌事件與青春期子女行為表現的關係，罹癌母親的憂 鬱情形可作為疾病變化歷程中之評估高風險家庭的指標，以及時提供青少年子女必要之協助，提升青少年 子女面對母親罹癌事件時的調適能力。

Background: Cancer is a major global health problem that affects not only the patient but also his or her entire family. The average age of people stricken with cancer has been falling. Today, it is not uncommon for cancer patients to have children under 18 years old. Parental cancer can cause depressive moods and distress in parents as well as their children. The mother is usually the primary caregiver in the family. Therefore, children tend to exhibit more behavior problems in the face of maternal than paternal cancer. A mother's depressive mood can also negatively influence functioning in her children and the family. Adolescence is a time when children typically struggle for independence and establish their own identity. Adolescents thus often feel guilty when they go out with friends instead of staying home to help share household responsibilities.
Purpose: To explore the relationships among depression in mothers with cancer, family functioning, and adolescent behavior.
Methods: The authors applied a cross-sectional, correlational research design using purposive sampling. Eighty-two mothers with adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 were recruited from a medical center in Southern Taiwan.
Results: Results showed that, although 34.1% of mother participants (n = 28) had depressive moods, only 10.7% of these (n = 3) sought depressive mood-related medical help. Maternal depression and family functioning had a significant, negative correlation. Adolescent behavior was significantly and positively correlated with maternal depression and significantly and negatively correlated with family functioning.
Conclusions / Implications for Practice: Findings can help oncologists better understand the effect on adolescent children of a mother's cancer diagnosis. A cancer mother's level of depressive mood may be used as an indicator to identify families at higher risk and at-risk adolescents can be targeted with timely assistance to help them cope more effectively.