Depressive symptoms and adaptive style in children with cancer

Peer relationships and emotional well-being of youngsters with sickle cell disease

Comparisons with measures of peer relationships and emotional well-being were made between youngsters with sickle cell disease (SCD) and same-classroom comparison peers. Relative to the comparison subjects, females with SCD were perceived by peers as being less sociable and less well accepted; males with SCD were perceived as being less aggressive than comparison peers. For both males and females with SCD, no other differences were identified on numerous measures of emotional well-being. None of the multiple measures of illness severity were significantly related to measures of psychological adjustment. The common side effects of SCD, chronic fatigue and small physical size, may divert males with the illness from manifesting difficulties related to aggressive behavior with peers. For females with the illness, the common side effects of the illness may hinder the development of normal social relationships. Despite chronic exposure to numerous stressful life events associated with SCD, the youngsters with the illness were remarkably similar to comparison peers, showing evidence of considerable hardiness.

Maternal distress and discrepancy in reports of psychopathology in chronically ill children

This article focuses on the relation between maternal distress and mother-child discrepancy in reports of child psychopathology, as assessed by a standardized structured interview. The sample includes 92 chronically ill children (mean age +/- SD = 12.5 +/- 2.7 years). Agreement between mother and child on the presence of any child psychiatric diagnosis was low. Maternal distress was correlated with the number of disorders identified by the mother but not with those identified by the child. Maternal distress was significantly higher in the mothers who identified a disorder but whose children did not. Choice of informant and maternal distress are significant factors in the evaluation of psychopathology.