title: Maternal stress associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess parental stress levels of mothers of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) aged between 2-12 years and compare with those reported for other chronic childhood illnesses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mothers of children aged between 2-12 years with JIA were recruited from hospital-based outpatient clinics. Maternal stress was measured by using the Parenting Stress Index Long Form (PSI). The physician assessing the child completed an active joint count, a physician's global assessment and recorded the C-reactive protein and/or erythrocyte sedimentation rate if one was clinically indicated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mothers recruited had children with a mean age of 6 years. The mean total stress score of mothers of children with JIA measured by the PSI was 235.4 (95% CI 218.5-252.3) was greater than the mean total stress scores for mothers of normal children at 222.8 (95% CI 221.4-224.2). It was also greater than children with other chronic disorders such as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), 218.1 (95% CI 204.7-231.6) and profound deafness, 221.7 (95% CI 206.4-237.0). One third of mothers had total PSI scores that were in the clinical range (Total PSI > 260), indicating a need for intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  JIA should be regarded as a significant illness in which maternal stress is at least equivalent to that associated with the care of children with other chronic diseases of childhood.
authors.affiliation: Monash Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ostring
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piper
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.forename: Davinder
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Singh-Grewal
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009517:New South Wales; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria
keywords: juvenile idiopathic arthritis; maternal stress; parental stress