Psychosocial and family functioning in children with sickle cell syndrome and their mothers.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the psychiatric functioning of 61 sickle cell youth and their families with nondiseased sibling controls.


METHODS
Functioning assessed by multiple informants included indices of behavioral, cognitive, and family/interpersonal functioning, self-esteem, life events, coping strategies, temperament, adaptive behavior, and parental psychopathology.


RESULTS
Key findings were that sickle cell patients evidenced more depressive symptoms and associated attributional style, and externalizing behavioral difficulties than did nondiseased siblings. With age, sickle cell youth evidence increasing adaptive behavior deficits and internalizing symptoms. Illness severity was related to symptoms of internalizing behavior and fewer daily living skills. Associations were found between maternal and child coping.


CONCLUSIONS
It is recommended that psychiatric consultations routinely be conducted with these children, particularly at times of family stress and developmental transitions. Psychiatric interventions should focus on ameliorating emotional difficulties via enhancing adaptive coping strategies.
Brown
R T
RT
Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30335.
Kaslow
N J
NJ
Doepke
K
K
Buchanan
I
I
Eckman
J
J
Baldwin
K
K
Goonan
B
B
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006450:Hemoglobin SC Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires