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Quaderni di Psicoterapia Cognitiva - Open Access

MALATTIE RARE E PSICOTERAPIA COGNITIVA

No. 56 (2025)

Perceived stress in caregivers of patients with RASopathies: Clinical implications, therapeutic adaptation strategies, and the role of psychological support in high-complexity care settings

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/qpc56-2025oa21772
Submitted
dicembre 23, 2025
Published
2026-01-12

Abstract

The perceived stress of caregivers of patients with RASopathies represents a significant clinical challenge, particularly in complex settings such as hospitals, where the emotional and caregiving burden is intensified. The aim of this study was to assess parental stress levels in families of children with cardio-facio-cutaneous (CFC) syndrome and Costello syndrome (CS). The sample included 39 children (22 CFC, 17 CS) and 53 parents, who completed the Italian version of the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form. The results show that caregivers in the CFC group reported significantly higher levels of total stress and higher scores on the “Parental Distress”, “Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction”, and “Difficult Child” subscales compared with the CS group. A larger proportion of CFC parents had clinically relevant scores (≥85th percentile). Multivariate analysis, weighted for parental role, confirmed that
belonging to the CFC group was associated with an average increase of approximately 18-25 percentile points (p < 0.05) in perceived stress. The findings support the view that psychological support for caregivers is a key component of family-centered interventions, particularly in the presence of complex clinical conditions and prolonged hospitalizations, helping to reduce the emotional burden and improve the quality of life of both patients and their families.

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