TY - JOUR
T1 - Adjustment to chronic arthritis of childhood
T2 - The roles of illness-related stress and attitude toward illness
AU - LeBovidge, Jennifer Soriano
AU - Lavigne, John V.
AU - Miller, Michael L.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was based on Jennifer S. LeBovidge’s doctoral dissertation submitted to Northwestern University and supported in part by a Graduate Research Grant from Northwestern University. We thank Jill Weissberg-Benchell, Ph.D., Karen Gouze, Ph.D., and Peter Zeldow, Ph.D. for their comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript. We also thank Danielle Baran for her assistance in interview coding. We are extremely grateful to the families who contributed their time and effort to this project.
PY - 2005/4
Y1 - 2005/4
N2 - Objective: To examine the relationship of psychosocial stress and attitude toward illness to psychological adjustment among youth with chronic arthritis. Methods: Seventy-five youths with chronic arthritis aged 8-18 years were administered a semi-structured interview assessing illness-related and nonillness-related stressors in important life domains. Children also completed measures of attitude toward illness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Parents completed a measure of child psychosocial adjustment. Results: Higher levels of illness-related and nonillness-related stress were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and parent-reported adjustment problems, while a more positive attitude toward illness was associated with lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Attitude toward illness moderated the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Results suggest the importance of assessing life stress and attitude toward illness among youth with arthritis and developing interventions to help children cope with arthritis-related stressors and promote a more positive attitude toward illness.
AB - Objective: To examine the relationship of psychosocial stress and attitude toward illness to psychological adjustment among youth with chronic arthritis. Methods: Seventy-five youths with chronic arthritis aged 8-18 years were administered a semi-structured interview assessing illness-related and nonillness-related stressors in important life domains. Children also completed measures of attitude toward illness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Parents completed a measure of child psychosocial adjustment. Results: Higher levels of illness-related and nonillness-related stress were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and parent-reported adjustment problems, while a more positive attitude toward illness was associated with lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Attitude toward illness moderated the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Results suggest the importance of assessing life stress and attitude toward illness among youth with arthritis and developing interventions to help children cope with arthritis-related stressors and promote a more positive attitude toward illness.
KW - Attitudes toward illness
KW - Chronic arthritis
KW - Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
KW - Pediatric chronic illness
KW - Psychological adjustment
KW - Stress
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U2 - 10.1093/jpepsy/jsi037
DO - 10.1093/jpepsy/jsi037
M3 - Review article
C2 - 15784923
AN - SCOPUS:16244369464
VL - 30
SP - 273
EP - 286
JO - Journal of Pediatric Psychology
JF - Journal of Pediatric Psychology
SN - 0146-8693
IS - 3
ER -