Topical Review: Integrating Findings on Direct Observation of Family Communication in Studies Comparing Pediatric Chronic Illness and Typically Developing Samples.
To review research on observed family communication in families with children with chronic illnesses compared with families with healthy, typically developing children, and to integrate findings utilizing a unifying family communication framework.



Topical review of studies that have directly observed family communication in pediatric populations and included a typically developing comparison group.



Initial findings from 14 studies with diverse approaches to quantifying observed family communication suggest that families with children with chronic illnesses may demonstrate lower levels of warm and structured communication and higher levels of hostile/intrusive and withdrawn communication compared with families with healthy, typically developing children.



An integrative framework of family communication may be used in future studies that examine the occurrence, correlates, and mechanisms of family communication in pediatric populations.
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
Lexa K
LK
Murphy
Psychology Department, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Caitlin B
CB
Murray
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
Bruce E
BE
Compas
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chronic illness; family functioning; parent–adolescent communication; research design and methods