Results support transactional conceptualizations of child adjustment to chronic illness. Findings also emphasize the need to examine the interaction of parent and child variables, particularly cognitive appraisals, in child adjustment. Results and treatment implications for children with JRD are discussed in terms of reinforcement theories of depression.

Specific parenting variables appear to be related to specific adjustment outcomes in children with cancer. Longitudinal follow-up of these children is necessary to determine the developmental trajectory of parent variables and long-term child outcomes.

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The current study sought to investigate differences in parenting capacity variables across four disease groups. Parents (N = 425), the majority of whom were mothers, of children with either cancer, asthma, Type 1 diabetes, or cystic fibrosis, completed measures of parental overprotection, perceived child vulnerability, and parenting stress. After controlling for significant demographic variables, parents of children with cystic fibrosis and asthma reported higher perceived child vulnerability than parents of children with either diabetes or cancer, while parents of children with asthma and diabetes reported higher parenting stress than parents of children with cancer or cystic fibrosis. No differences between disease groups were found for parental overprotection. The current study provides support for an illness-specific approach to understanding parenting capacity variables in the context of childhood chronic illnesses.

Objective To examine the relationship of parent-reported overprotection (OP), perceived child vulnerability (PCV), and parenting stress (PS) to youth-reported illness uncertainty, and to explore potential developmental differences. Method Eighty-two children and 82 adolescents (n ¼ 164) diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) or asthma, completed a measure of illness uncertainty, while their parents completed measures of OP, PCV, and PS. Results After controlling for demographic and illness parameters, both PCV and PS significantly predicted youth illness uncertainty in the combined sample. Within the child group, only PS significantly predicted illness uncertainty, whereas only PCV significantly predicted uncertainty for adolescents. Conclusion Specific parenting variables are associated with youth-reported illness uncertainty; however, their relationship varies according to developmental level. Although OP has been identified as a predictor of child psychological outcomes in other studies, it does not appear to be associated with illness uncertainty in youth with DM1 or asthma.

This pilot study reports findings from a randomized clinical trial of a novel intervention for parents of children newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. The intervention was designed to decrease parental uncertainty and distress as well as child behavioral problems by teaching parents skills to manage uncertainty. Thirty-four families were randomly assigned to either an intervention (IG) or a treatment as usual (TAU) group. Parents completed measures of distress, uncertainty, and child behavior problems at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months postintervention. In the IG, significant reductions were observed for maternal and paternal distress as well as maternal ratings of child behavior problems. No changes were observed for the TAU, except for father-reported reductions in child internalizing symptoms at 1 month postintervention. Preliminary data suggest that, with further development and testing, the intervention has potential to be an effective tool to reduce paternal distress and possibly child behavior problems.

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Objective Parents and children affected by pediatric cancer are at risk for psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. A link is believed to exist between parent and child distress; however, no systematic analysis of this relationship has occurred. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between parent and child distress among families affected by pediatric cancer. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted using EBSCO (searching PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Academic search Premiere, and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition) and PubMed. The initial search yielded a total of 29,118 articles. Inclusion criteria were that studies assessed the relation between parent and child distress in the context of pediatric cancer, were written in English, and were published in peer-reviewed journals. 28 articles met inclusion criteria. Results A statistically significant association was found between overall parent and child distress (r = .32, p < .001), such that increased parent-reported distress was associated with increased distress in their children. Significant relationships were also present among each type of parental distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and global distress; rs = .31–.51, ps < .001) and overall child distress. Moderation analyses via meta-regression indicated that parent proxy-report of child symptoms was associated with a stronger relationship between parent and child distress than child self-report of their own distress. Conclusions Aligned with the social–ecological framework, familial factors appear to be highly relevant in understanding distress following pediatric cancer diagnosis. Indeed, greater parent distress was associated with greater child distress.