ABSTRACT
A series of studies of potentially-traumatic life-events (PTLE) in children and youth with special needs (CSN) was conducted after parents of 102 CSN from interdisciplinary pediatric clinics listed PTLE at significantly higher rates on the Pediatric Emotional Distress Scale (PEDS) compared to parents 58 students with no diagnoses. Subsequent studies replicated this disparity in 213 5-15 year-olds sampled through school-distributed parent PTLE checklists instead of PEDS. Results from school samples suggested significantly more PTLE in CSN, t (211) = -3.39, p < .001. In both studies some of PTLE reported significantly more in CSN were potentially related to the special needs of the child (e.g., hospitalizations, school problems) but others were not (e.g., traumatic events such as vehicular accidents and disasters). Children exposed to more PTLE were rated as having significantly more behavior problems across measures. Suggested cost-effective screening for PTLE may enable clinicians to enhance differential diagnosis, medical management, and psychosocial interventions for CSN by taking into account PTLE and symptoms related to recent disruptive events.
Subject(s)
Life Change Events , Needs Assessment , Parents/psychology , Social Support , Stress, Psychological/etiology , Students/psychology , Adaptation, Psychological , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Schools , United StatesABSTRACT
This study examined paternal correlates of the cognitive and behavioral functioning of children with myelomeningocele, when controlling for maternal and biological/child correlates as possible sources of variance. Participants were 48 parent dyads of children with myelomeningocele (21 males, 27 females) between the ages of 4 and 12 years (mean 8y, 2mo, SD 2y 3mo). Lesion levels of participants ranged from the thoracic to sacral (thoracic-L3: n=15; L4-L5: n=15; sacral or lipomeningocele: n=18), of whom 38 had been shunted for hydrocephalus. Half of the participants (n=24) were community ambulators. Potential predictors of cognitive and behavioral functioning included paternal and maternal parenting stress, as assessed by the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form paternal, and maternal perceptions of support and resources, as assessed by the Family Resource Scale and the Family Support Scale, and child medical severity. Paternal variables significantly correlated with behavioral functioning but not with cognitive functioning. Regression analyses revealed that paternal personal distress and maternal perceived adequacy of social support accounted for significant variance in overall child behavioral functioning. Only child medical severity and annual household income explained significant variance in overall child cognitive functioning. These findings add to the growing body of theory and research documenting that fathers make unique and significant contributions to child adjustment in children with myelomeningocele. Both fathers and mothers need to be considered in interventions supporting development and adjustment of children with myelomeningocele and their families.
