title: Comparisons between youth of a parent with MS and a control group on adjustment, caregiving, attachment and family functioning.
abstract: Few studies have examined the effects of parental MS on children, and those that have suffered from numerous methodological weaknesses, some of which are addressed in this study. This study investigated the effects of parental MS on children by comparing youth of a parent with MS to youth who have no family member with a serious health condition on adjustment outcomes, caregiving, attachment and family functioning. A questionnaire survey methodology was used. Measures included youth somatisation, health, pro-social behaviour, behavioural-social difficulties, caregiving, attachment and family functioning. A total of 126 youth of a parent with MS were recruited from MS Societies in Australia and, were matched one-to-one with youth who had no family member with a health condition drawn from a large community sample. Comparisons showed that youth of a parent with MS did not differ on any of the outcomes except for peer relationship problems: adolescent youth of a parent with MS reported lower peer relationship problems than control adolescents. Overall, results did not support prior research findings suggesting adverse impacts of parental MS on youth.
authors.affiliation: a School of Psychology , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia .
authors.forename: K I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Pakenham
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cox
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis; D009769:Object Attachment; D010379:Peer Group; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult