In a groundbreaking development bridging oncology, psychology, and cultural adaptation, the recent study led by Dadashi, Barasteh, Karami, and colleagues represents a pivotal step forward in understanding the nuanced parenting concerns faced by Iranian women diagnosed with breast cancer. Published in the forthcoming 2026 issue of BMC Psychology, this research propels the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ) into a new linguistic and cultural dimension, underscoring the critical importance of tailored psychological assessment tools in diverse populations. Their work meticulously undertakes both translation and psychometric evaluation of the PCQ, an instrument originally developed in Western contexts, thus providing invaluable insights into the psychological landscape of Iranian mothers confronting the dual challenge of breast cancer and parenting.
Breast cancer, the most common malignancy affecting women globally, imposes profound physical, emotional, and social burdens. For mothers, these challenges are often compounded by the intricate responsibilities of caregiving and parenting. Psychological distress and uncertainty about the impact of cancer on parenting efficacy and children’s well-being can intensify the burden, yet these concerns do not exist in isolation. They are deeply embedded within the cultural, societal, and familial frameworks unique to each context. The authors’ initiative to translate and validate the PCQ in Farsi marks a seminal advance in capturing these culturally specific parenting concerns within Iranian female breast cancer patients.
Psychometric validation, a rigorous process ensuring that a translated questionnaire maintains its reliability and validity in a new population, involves complex statistical methodologies including factor analysis, internal consistency checks, and construct validation. Dadashi and colleagues have adeptly navigated these analytical dimensions, resulting in a culturally congruent and statistically robust instrument. This adaptation enables healthcare providers and researchers to accurately measure parenting concerns, identify distress signals early, and tailor psychological interventions to better support Iranian mothers amidst their cancer journey.
The translation process transcended mere linguistic conversion. It encompassed an intricate cultural adaptation to suit the unique familial structures, parenting roles, and social norms prevalent in Iran. The translation team engaged bilingual experts, oncologists, psychologists, and patient representatives, ensuring semantic, idiomatic, experiential, and conceptual equivalency. This exhaustive approach is paramount, as direct translations often fail to capture the subtle psychosocial nuances embedded in parenting concerns within different cultural milieus.
Central to the study’s impact is its focus on patient-reported outcomes (PROs), which elevate the patient’s voice in clinical care and research. The PCQ’s validation in Farsi equips clinicians with a standardized method of quantifying subjective experiences related to parenting during cancer treatment. This enhances holistic care models and facilitates cross-cultural comparisons in psycho-oncology research, thereby broadening the global understanding of parenting challenges in cancer survivorship.
The study’s findings revealed significant psychometric strengths of the translated PCQ in the Iranian cohort. Factor analyses corroborated the original questionnaire’s multidimensional structure while revealing nuances specific to Iranian cultural contexts. Reliability indices such as Cronbach’s alpha demonstrated excellent internal consistency across the questionnaire’s subscales, reinforcing the tool’s precision in assessing diverse parenting concerns ranging from emotional worries to caregiving challenges amidst illness.
Beyond psychometrics, the research touches on the profound societal implications of parenting amidst breast cancer in a predominantly collectivist culture. Women in Iran often function within extended family networks where parental roles are interwoven with communal expectations. The PCQ’s adaptation thus captures not only individualized concerns but also perceived impacts on family dynamics, community roles, and social stigmas associated with cancer and motherhood.
Importantly, the implementation of the PCQ-Farsi version introduces promising applications in clinical psychology and oncology practice within Iran. Mental health professionals can now systematically screen for parenting distress and integrate psychoeducational interventions that address fears regarding children’s emotional responses, alterations in parental roles, and maintaining familial stability during treatment. Additionally, it opens avenues for longitudinal research tracking how parenting concerns evolve across the cancer trajectory and survivorship phases.
This study also holds transformative potential for policy. By concretely documenting the psychosocial domains impacted by breast cancer on parenting, it informs patient-centered care policies and supports resource allocation towards psycho-oncology services tailored to the Iranian context. Health systems might leverage this evidence in developing culturally competent support groups, counseling services, and parenting resources for cancer survivors, thereby addressing an often-overlooked dimension of cancer care.
The broader scientific community stands to benefit from this initiative as it exemplifies best practices in cultural adaptation of psychometric instruments. It highlights methodological rigor necessary when importing assessment tools across languages and cultures, fostering more inclusive research that respects population diversity. Lessons gleaned here can guide future translation and validation projects for other psychosocial measures within oncology and beyond.
Moreover, the study underscores the inextricable link between physical illness and psychosocial well-being, emphasizing that cancer care must extend beyond tumor treatment to encompass emotional and relational aspects. Parenting concerns are a vital psychosocial domain that, if left unaddressed, could contribute to poorer quality of life and psychological morbidity among survivors. The PCQ-Farsi’s availability offers a strategic tool to capture and mitigate these concerns in clinical practice.
The multidisciplinary collaboration inherent in this research—from oncologists, psychologists, linguists, and patient advocates—exemplifies a holistic research paradigm. It aligns with contemporary perspectives on personalized medicine, where understanding the unique psychosocial profiles of patients enriches therapeutic outcomes. Such integrative research models set new standards for psycho-oncology investigations globally.
As global health increasingly recognizes the importance of culturally sensitive tools, this study sets a precedent demonstrating that psychometric adaptation is both feasible and essential. It emboldens researchers and clinicians globally to undertake similar endeavors in diverse linguistic and cultural settings, ultimately enhancing equity in psycho-oncological assessment and support services.
Looking forward, the PCQ-Farsi will likely catalyze novel research directions exploring the intersection of culture, illness, and parenting. It invites deeper inquiry into how societal values shape parental coping mechanisms and the psychosocial sequelae of cancer. Moreover, its deployment in clinical settings promises to yield real-world data that can refine interventions and improve survivor care pathways tailored to Iranian women.
In sum, the translation and psychometric validation of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire in Iranian women with breast cancer is a landmark achievement with far-reaching clinical, research, and policy implications. It embodies the imperative to listen attentively to patients’ lived experiences and to adapt scientific tools in ways that honor cultural specificity. As this work gains visibility, it is poised to shape future psycho-oncology practices and enhance the supportive care landscape for Iranian mothers battling breast cancer.
The research by Dadashi et al. not only fills a methodological gap but also elevates the discourse on parenting in cancer survivorship, reinforcing that caregiving responsibilities and parental identities are pivotal arenas impacted by cancer diagnosis and treatment. Their contribution resonates widely, serving as a catalyst for innovation in psychosocial oncology and championing the integration of cultural insight into health measurement sciences.
By offering a validated, culturally sensitive instrument to measure parenting concerns, this study empowers healthcare providers, researchers, and patients alike. It provides a tangible means to assess, understand, and ultimately alleviate the unique burdens faced by Iranian women as they navigate the complex intersecting pathways of cancer and parenthood. The psychological ripples of this endeavor are poised to extend well beyond Iran, inspiring global advancements in compassionate, culturally attuned cancer care.
Subject of Research: Translation and psychometric validation of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ) among Iranian women diagnosed with breast cancer.
Article Title: Translation & psychometrics of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ) in Iranian woman with breast cancer.
Article References: Dadashi, N., Barasteh, S., Karami, M. et al. Translation & psychometrics of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ) in Iranian woman with breast cancer. BMC Psychol (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03899-z
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