title: The impact of an inpatient family-oriented rehabilitation program on parent-reported psychological symptoms of chronically ill children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the change of psychological symptoms and quality of life in children and adolescents with congenital heart disease, cancer, or cystic fibrosis after a family-oriented inpatient rehabilitation program.
  
  
  METHODS
  302 participants in the intervention (aged 4-17 years, mean=8.7) were assessed using standard questionnaires at admission to the rehabilitation program, at discharge, and 6 months post discharge. Parent-reported behavioral and emotional symptoms were compared to a healthy control group from the National Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (n=903).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At admission, 27.5% of patients showed abnormal levels on the total difficulties score of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire - parent version (SDQ), while an additional 16.9% had slightly elevated symptoms (relative risk=2.16). Patients' psychological symptoms were negatively correlated with their quality of life (QoL) and with parental QoL. After rehabilitation, the patients' symptoms improved significantly, and the improvement persisted for 6 months in those patients who could be followed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rehabilitation program can be considered a promising strategy to improve the patients' psychological adaptation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, Germany. Lutz.Goldbeck@uniklinik-ulm.de
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Goldbeck
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hölling
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schlack
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Besier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D055809:Illness Behavior; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers