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Cumulative family risk predicts sibling adjustment to childhood cancer
Author(s) -
Long Kristin A.,
Marsland Anna L.,
Alderfer Melissa A.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/cncr.28077
Subject(s) - sibling , distress , medicine , context (archaeology) , family disruption , risk factor , clinical psychology , psychology , psychiatry , developmental psychology , paleontology , biology
BACKGROUND Prolonged, intensive treatment regimens often disrupt families of children with cancer. Siblings are at increased risk for distress, but factors underlying this risk have received limited empirical attention. In this study, the authors examined associations between the family context and sibling distress. METHODS Siblings of children with cancer (ages 8‐18 years; N = 209) and parents (186 mothers and 70 fathers) completed measures of sibling distress, family functioning, parenting, and parent post‐traumatic stress. Associations between sibling distress and each family risk factor were evaluated. Then, family risks were considered simultaneously by calculating cumulative family risk index scores. RESULTS After controlling for sociodemographic covariates, greater sibling distress was associated with more sibling‐reported problems with family functioning and parental psychological control, lower sibling‐reported maternal acceptance, and lower paternal self‐reported acceptance. When risk factors were considered together, the results supported a quadratic model in which associations between family risk and sibling distress were stronger at higher levels of risk. CONCLUSIONS The current findings support a contextual model of sibling adjustment to childhood cancer in which elevated distress is predicted by family risk factors, both alone and in combination. Cancer 2013;119:2503‐2510 . © 2013 American Cancer Society .