The Relationship of Parental Overprotection, Perceived Child Vulnerability, and Parenting Stress to Uncertainty in Youth with Chronic Illness

Abstract

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.

Parental stress and perceived vulnerability at 5 and 10 years after pediatric SCT

“…21 Because in the original study no mean scores were reported, published mean scores of another representative study among parents of children with chronic illnesses were used. 12 Internal consistency for the current sample was 0.88.…”

“…10 In a sample of parents of children with cancer, perceived vulnerability predicted child emotional adaptation (that is, anxiety, depression) 11 and in a sample of parents of children with chronic illnesses, perceived vulnerability predicted illness uncertainty. 12 Perceived vulnerability has not yet been studied in parents of SCT survivors.…”

A longitudinal examination of the parent–child distress relationship in children with juvenile rheumatic disease.

“…For instance, in a sample of children with spina bifida, Holmbeck and colleagues (2002) found that elevated levels of parental overprotection were significantly related to less autonomy and more externalizing behavior problems in their children. In addition to their behaviors, parental beliefs (e.g., perceived child vulnerability) have been associated with increased levels of illness uncertainty in adolescents with Type I diabetes mellitus (Mullins et al, 2007). In fact, one of the single most reliable predictors of a child's adjustment to a chronic illness is parent adjustment (Mullins & Chaney, 2001).…”

Parent Coping and the Behavioural and Social Outcomes of Children Diagnosed with Inherited Metabolic Disorders

“…It is well documented that IMD present an emotional burden to parents (Cederbaum et al 2001;Packman et al 2007) and that parents who may be struggling to cope potentially create greater anxiety and worry in their children (Mullins et al 2007). In the current study, poorer parent coping was associated with more emotional symptoms in children, and poorer family management was associated with more externalising behaviours such as conduct problems and hyperactivity in children.…”