Adjustment to chronic arthritis of childhood: the roles of illness-related stress and attitude toward illness.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship of psychosocial stress and attitude toward illness to psychological adjustment among youth with chronic arthritis.


METHODS
Seventy-five youths with chronic arthritis aged 8-18 years were administered a semi-structured interview assessing illness-related and nonillness-related stressors in important life domains. Children also completed measures of attitude toward illness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Parents completed a measure of child psychosocial adjustment.


RESULTS
Higher levels of illness-related and nonillness-related stress were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and parent-reported adjustment problems, while a more positive attitude toward illness was associated with lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Attitude toward illness moderated the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest the importance of assessing life stress and attitude toward illness among youth with arthritis and developing interventions to help children cope with arthritis-related stressors and promote a more positive attitude toward illness.
LeBovidge
Jennifer Soriano
JS
Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. jennifer.lebovidge@childrens.harvard.edu
Lavigne
John V
JV
Miller
Michael L
ML
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001168:Arthritis / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*