[Psychosocial adjustment to asthma and juvenile diabetes mellitus in school-age children].
The main purpose of this study was to compare psychological and social problems among chronically ill school-aged children to those observed in a group of healthy children of the same age. On the basis of the data collected, it was also possible to compare self-perception and social functioning problems between the 2 groups of children, as well as to identify the contributing factors explaining the observed differences in psychosocial adaptation between these 2 groups. Three measures were used to assess psychological and social problems. Mental health problems were measured by the Dominique (Valla, Bergeron, Bérubé, Gaudet, & Saint-Georges, 1994). Self-Perception and Social Functioning were assessed by the Self-Perception Profile (Harter, 1985) and the Rating Scale of Child's Actual Behavior (Harter, 1985). Information on characteristics of the child and his or her family was also collected. Sixty children aged 6 to 11 and diagnosed as having juvenile diabetes or asthma, 59 control children, and the children's parents participated in this study. A chi-square test and multivariate analysis of variance were used to compare the 2 groups of children. Results indicate that children with diabetes and asthma do not present more psychological and social problems than other children of the same age. Results also suggest that age is the only variable indicating a higher proportion of mental health problems among chronically ill children. Results are discussed and compared to those of previous studies from which the conceptual frame-work of this study was developed.
Pelletier
L
L
Université Laval.
Lepage
L
L
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010553:Personality Development; D012803:Sick Role; D012917:Social Adjustment