Condition severity and psychosocial functioning in pre-adolescents with spina bifida: disentangling proximal functional status and distal adjustment outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To examine relations between condition severity and psychosocial functioning in 70 8- and 9-year-old pre-adolescents with spina bifida by testing several direct, indirect, and mediated effects models for proximal functional status and distal adjustment outcomes.


METHODS
Proximal functional status outcomes (e.g., degree of involvement in activities, scholastic competence, athletic competence, attentional problems) and distal adjustment outcomes (e.g., behavior problems, social competence) were assessed with mother, father, and teacher report. Severity variables included spinal lesion level, spina bifida classification, shunt status, ambulation status, number of shunt surgeries, and two severity composites.


RESULTS
Condition severity was associated with the proximal functional status outcomes across parent and teacher report. In contrast, no significant relationships were found between the severity parameters and distal adjustment outcomes. Findings supported a proximal effects model of condition severity as well as an indirect effects model (e.g., presence of a shunt-->less scholastic competence-->less social competence) and were consistent with recent theoretical formulations (e.g., Wallander & Varni, 1995).


CONCLUSIONS
Disentangling proximal functional status outcomes and distal adjustment outcomes is critical in studies of condition severity and psychosocial functioning. We discuss clinical implications.
Hommeyer
J S
JS
Loyola University of Chicago, Department of Psychology, Illinois 60626, USA.
Holmbeck
G N
GN
Wills
K E
KE
Coers
S
S
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012917:Social Adjustment; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires