Benefit Finding Scale for Children: preliminary findings from a childhood cancer population.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the development of a brief measure of benefit finding for children. Data regarding the psychometrics and validity of the instrument were examined in a sample of children with cancer.


METHODS
A cross-sectional sample of children with cancer (N = 199, ages 7-18 years) completed the Benefit Finding Scale for Children (BFSC) along with measures of adaptive style, optimism/pessimism, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and health-related quality of life.


RESULTS
The BFSC was found to be a unidimensional measure with excellent internal reliability. Benefit finding was not related to age or gender, but differed as a function of race/ethnicity. No differences were found by diagnostic category, but a significant relationship was found with age at diagnosis and time elapsed since diagnosis. Small, but significant positive correlations were found with measures of optimism and self-esteem, and a negative correlation with anxiety. No relation was found between benefit finding and post-traumatic stress symtpoms or other domains of health-related quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
The BFSC shows promise as a measure of benefit finding in children. The measure could be readily adapted for other populations of children experiencing trauma.
Phipps
Sean
S
Division of Behavioral Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 332 N. Lauderdale, Memphis, TN 38105-2794, USA. sean.phipps@stjude.org
Long
Alanna M
AM
Ogden
Johanna
J
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States