Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to examine benefit-finding in a sample of young adults with SB and assess relationships between demographic and medical variables and benefit-finding. Young adults with SB (N = 329), ranging in age from 18 to 30 (M = 23.44 ± 2.93), completed the Benefit-Finding Scale (BFS), a 17-item self-report questionnaire, and reported on demographic and medical information related to their SB diagnosis. Participants endorsed a range of benefits associated with living with SB. The most frequently endorsed benefits were related to personal strengths, interpersonal relationships, and life philosophy. Younger age, majority race, higher education level, and employment were significantly associated with higher BFS scores. Young adults with SB report benefits associated with their chronic condition. Future research should examine these benefits in relation to psychosocial outcomes.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1176-1186 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Health Psychology |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 2022 |
Funding
The authors thank the Spina Bifida Association (SBA), without whom this research would not have been possible. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported in part by grants from the National Institute of Nursing Research and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (R01 NR016235), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD048629), and the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation (12-FY13-271). The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported in part by grants from the National Institute of Nursing Research and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (R01 NR016235), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD048629), and the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation (12-FY13-271).
Keywords
- adolescent and young adult
- benefit-finding
- chronic conditions
- myelomeningocele
- spina bifida
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Psychology
