TY - JOUR
T1 - Coping and family functioning predict longitudinal psychological adaptation of siblings of childhood cancer patients
AU - Houtzager, Bregje A.
AU - Oort, Frans J.
AU - Hoekstra-Weebers, Josette E.H.M.
AU - Caron, Huib N.
AU - Grootenhuis, Martha A.
AU - Last, Bob F.
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was funded by grants from the Dutch Cancer Society (AMC 98–1714) and the Foundation for Paediatric Cancer Research (SKK 02.03). We would like to express many thanks to all the families that participated in this study. Finally, we would like to thank Saskia Vlaming, Marieke de Boer, and Daisy Theunissen for their helpful cooperation in data collection and management.
PY - 2004/12
Y1 - 2004/12
N2 - Objective: To assess associations of coping and family functioning with psychosocial adjustment in siblings of pediatric cancer patients at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months after diagnosis. Methods: Eighty-three siblings (ages 7-19 years) participated. Effects on anxiety, quality of life, behavioral-emotional problems, and emotional reactions to the illness were investigated. Data-analysis was performed with multilevel mixed modeling. Results: Psychosocial functioning was impaired at 1 month but ameliorated over time. Adjustment problems were associated with high family adaptation and cohesion, older age, and female gender. Lower anxiety, insecurity, loneliness, and illness involvement were related to siblings' ability to remain optimistic. Insecurity and illness involvement were positively related to reliance on the medical specialist and a tendency to seek information about the illness. Conclusions: Siblings of pediatric cancer patients are most affected by the illness in the first months. Children at risk may be identified according to sibling age and gender and according to long-term family adaptation processes and sibling coping abilities.
AB - Objective: To assess associations of coping and family functioning with psychosocial adjustment in siblings of pediatric cancer patients at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months after diagnosis. Methods: Eighty-three siblings (ages 7-19 years) participated. Effects on anxiety, quality of life, behavioral-emotional problems, and emotional reactions to the illness were investigated. Data-analysis was performed with multilevel mixed modeling. Results: Psychosocial functioning was impaired at 1 month but ameliorated over time. Adjustment problems were associated with high family adaptation and cohesion, older age, and female gender. Lower anxiety, insecurity, loneliness, and illness involvement were related to siblings' ability to remain optimistic. Insecurity and illness involvement were positively related to reliance on the medical specialist and a tendency to seek information about the illness. Conclusions: Siblings of pediatric cancer patients are most affected by the illness in the first months. Children at risk may be identified according to sibling age and gender and according to long-term family adaptation processes and sibling coping abilities.
KW - Adaptation
KW - Childhood cancer
KW - Coping
KW - Family system
KW - Siblings
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=7244229565&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/jpepsy/jsh061
DO - 10.1093/jpepsy/jsh061
M3 - Article
C2 - 15491981
AN - SCOPUS:7244229565
SN - 0146-8693
VL - 29
SP - 591
EP - 605
JO - Journal of Pediatric Psychology
JF - Journal of Pediatric Psychology
IS - 8
ER -