The aim of this meta-analysis is to examine whether children of chronically ill parents differ from norm groups in problem behavior. We report moderator effects and overall effect sizes for internalizing, externalizing and total problem behavior assessed by children and parents. In fixed effect models, we found a significant overall effect size for internalizing problem behavior (number of studies k = 19, total sample size N = 1,858, Cohen’s d = .23, p < .01) and externalizing problem behavior (k = 13, N = 1,525, d = .09, p < .01) but not for total problem behavior (k = 7; N = 896). Effects for internalizing and externalizing problem behavior were larger in non-cancer studies, in samples including younger children and younger ill parents, in samples defined by low average SES and in studies including parents with longer illness duration. In addition, effects for externalizing problem behavior were larger in studies characterized by a higher percentage of ill mothers and single parents. With exclusive self-report, effect sizes were significant for all problem behaviors. Based on these results, a family-centered approach in health care is recommended.

Fatigue is an important contributor to quality of life in patients who survive aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), but the determinants of this fatigue are unclear. We assessed the occurrence of fatigue 1 year after SAH and its relation to physical or cognitive impairment, passive coping, and emotional problems, measured 3 months after SAH. This was a prospective cohort study of 108 patients who visited our SAH outpatient clinic 3 months after SAH and who were living independently in the community 1 year after SAH. Fatigue was evaluated using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Fatigue (FSS ≥ 4) was present in 77 patients (71%). Mean FSS scores were 4.1 (SD 1.6) in the group of patients having 'neither physical nor cognitive impairment,' 5.2 (1.4) having 'either physical or cognitive impairment,' and 5.9 (0.9) having 'both physical and cognitive impairments.' Mean FSS scores were higher in patients scoring high on passive coping (85 vs. 58%; RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.13-1.87), anxiety (84 vs. 55%; RR 1.53, 95% CI 1.17-2.02), or depression (85 vs. 62%; RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.08-1.72) than in patients without these complaints. Relationships between these complaints and FSS scores were higher in patients having neither physical nor cognitive impairments than in patients having physical or cognitive impairments. Fatigue is common after SAH and is related to physical and cognitive impairments. In patients with neither physical nor cognitive impairments, passive coping style and emotional problems are important predictors of fatigue.

Left USN (15.82%) was more frequent than right USN (9.25%). Demographic and stroke characteristics were comparable between groups. The lateralized attentional deficit was most severe in left USN. USN in both peripersonal and extrapersonal space was more frequently left-sided in nature. Search efficiency was lower in left USN. Balance was poorer in right USN. No differences between left and right USN were found for cognitive ability, communication, motor strength, mobility, and self-care. Most patients with left USN had right-hemispheric lesions, whereas patients with right USN could have lesions in either the left or the right hemisphere. To conclude, left and right USN are both common after stroke. Although the lateralized attention deficit is worse in left than in right USN, consequences at the level of physical functioning and physical independence are largely comparable. From a clinical perspective, it is important to systematically screen for USN, both after right- and after left-hemisphere damage.

Background: Little information is available about the course of quality of life (QoL) post stroke and how dependency on activities of daily living (ADL) influences this course. The aim of this study was therefore to describe the course of QoL from 2 months up to 2 years post stroke and to study the influence of ADL dependency in the first week post stroke. Methods: This is a multicenter prospective longitudinal cohort study in which 368 stroke patients were included and data were collected at 1 week, 2 months, 6 months, 12 months and 24 months post stroke. QoL assessment included measures of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (short stroke-specific Quality of Life Scale), emotional functioning (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), participation (Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation), and life satisfaction (2LS). Dependency on ADL was defined as having a Barthel Index score ≤17 four days post stroke. Generalized Estimating Equations analyses were performed to examine the course of the 4 domains of QoL. Furthermore, the possible confounding effect of age, gender, marital status, level of education and discharge destination was examined. Results: Results showed that HRQoL, participation and life satisfaction improved during the first year post stroke, with most changes occurring in the first 6 months. Furthermore, patients dependent in ADL scored consistently lower on all 4 QoL domains and test occasions compared to ADL-independent patients. In both patient groups separately, no changes over time were found in emotional functioning. ADL-independent patients improved in HRQoL (p = 0.002), participation (p < 0.001) and life satisfaction (p = 0.020) between 2 and 6 months and in life satisfaction (p = 0.003) between 6 and 12 months also. ADL-dependent patients improved in HRQoL (p = 0.009) between 2 and 6 months and in participation between 2 and 6 months (p = 0.001) and between 6 and 12 months (p = 0.031). Furthermore, they experienced no changes in life satisfaction. No confounding effect was found after adding age, gender, marital status, level of education and discharge destination. Conclusions: Most improvement in QoL occurred up to 6 months post stroke and showed different patterns for specific domains of QoL and for patients with and without dependency in ADL in the first week post stroke. It is therefore important to differentiate between these different domains of QoL when the long-term perspective is considered. Furthermore, patients dependent in ADL consistently scored lower on all QoL domains and did not reach the level of QoL of patients independent of QoL.

The ICF is a useful tool to examine and compare contents of instruments in stroke rehabilitation. This content comparison should enable clinicians and researchers to choose the measure that best matches the area of their interest.

There is still a paucity of studies on psychological determinants of poststroke health-related quality of life. The reviewed studies supported the importance of psychological factors, but further research is needed to supplement the available evidence and to examine how psychological factors can be modified to improve health-related quality of life, and at what moment after the stroke these interventions should be given.

People with ABI contend that it is not the degree of participation that matters, but the quality of participation. They describe meaningful participation in terms of taking part, giving something and being someone. A model was constructed based on the experiences, which includes personal and environmental factors that, in interaction, may influence participation: participation is influenced by the process of recovery, support and treatment, the environment and society and communication and interaction. The study resulted in an overview of actions like continual care that may improve the participation of people with ABI.

Approximately 10% of children grow up with a parent who has been diagnosed with a chronic medical condition (CMC) and seem to be at risk for adjustment difficulties. We examined differences in behavioral, psychosocial and academic outcomes between 161 adolescents from 101 families with a chronically ill parent and 112 adolescents from 68 families with healthy parents, accounting for statistical dependence within siblings. Children between 10 and 20 years and their parents were visited at home and filled in questionnaires. Multilevel analyses showed that 20–60% of the variance in most adolescent outcomes was due to the family cluster effect, especially in internalizing problem behavior, caregiving variables and quality of parent attachment. Conversely, the variance in stress and coping variables and grade point average (GPA) was mainly due to individual characteristics. Adolescents with parents affected by CMC displayed more internalizing problems than the comparison group and scored higher on frequency of household chores, caregiving responsibilities, activity restrictions, isolation, daily hassles and stress. In addition, their grade point average was comparatively worse. No group differences in externalizing problems, coping skills and quality of parent attachment were found. In conclusion, the family cluster effect largely explains adolescent outcomes and should be accounted for. Adolescents with parents affected by CMC are subject to an increased risk for internalizing problems, adverse caregiving characteristics, daily hassles, stress and a low GPA. According to a family-centered approach, school counselors and health care practitioners should be alert to adjustment difficulties of children with a chronically ill parent.