Chronic Illness,Symptoms and Efficacy in Children as Related to Some Psychological Characteristics of Mothers

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between attitude towards health and neuroti cism and reporting of physical and psychological systems in mothers of chroni cally ill and healthy children. The relationship between reporting of symptoms by mothers, and complaints reported by the two groups of chronically ill and healthy children was also studied. Further, influence of the illness, and physical and psy chological complaints on academic and social behaviour, and efficacy of children were investigated. A total of 100 mothers and children were included in the study. Of these, 25 were chronically ill children and their mothers, and 25 were healthy children and their mothers. Results reveal that health attitudes and physical as well as psychological symptoms reported by mothers of chronically ill children were negatively and significantly correlated. In the case of chronically ill children, mothers'symptom reporting waspositively correlated with mothers' neuroticism, on the one hand, and the number of physical and psychological complaints on the other hand. Furthermore, the main effects of symptoms reported were found to be of significance for academic behaviours and efficacy of children. Results have been interpreted in terms of the relationship between the psychological dis position of mothers and their relationship with coping with disease by children.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Agarwal, A. (1995). Mass media and health promotion in Indian villages . Psychology and Developing Societies, 7(2), 217-236.

Battle, C.U. (1974). Disruption in the socialisation of a young, severely handicapped child. Rehabilitation Literature, 35, 130.

Blazer, D.G. , & Houpt, J.L. (1979). Perception of poor health in the healthy older adult. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 27, 330-334.

Broadman, K. , Erdmann, A.J. , & Wolff, H.G. (1960). The Cornell medical index-health questionnaire manual. New York: Cornell University Press.

Burton, L. (1975). The family life of sick children. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Chess, S. , & Thomas, A. (1986). Temperament in clinical practice. New York: Guilford.

Costa, P.T. , JR., & McCrae, R.R. (1980). Somatic complaints in males as a function of age and neuroticism: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Behavioural Medicine, 3, 245-257.

Costa, P.T. , JR., & McCrae, R.R. (1985). Hypochondriasis neuroticism and aging: When are somatic complaints unfounded? American Psychologist, 40, 19-28.

Dorner, S. , & Elton, A. (1973). Short, taught and vulnerable, Special Education, 62,12.

10.

Green, J.B. , & Hartlage, L.C. (1971). Comparative performance of epileptic and non-epileptic children and adolescents. Disease of the Nervous System, 32, 418-421.

11.

Green, J.B. , & Hartlage, L.C. (1972). The relation of parental attitudes to academic and social achievement in epileptic children. Epilepsia, 13, 21.

12.

Gustafsson, PA , & Kjellman, N.I. (1986). Family therapy in the treatment of severe childhood asthma. Journal of Psychosomatic Research , 30, 369-374.

13.

Mattson, A. , Gross, S. , & Hall, T.W. (1971). Psychoendocrine study of adaptation in young haemophiliacs . Psychosomatic Medicine, 33, 215.

14.

McCrae, R.R. , Bartone, P.T. , & Costa, P.T. , JR. (1976). Age, anxiety and self-reported health. Aging and Human Development, 7, 49-58.

15.

Muhar, I.S. , BHATIA, P, & Kapoor, G. (1992). Manual for Neuroticism and Introversion, Extroversion Inventory (NIEI) Agra: National Psychological Corporation.

16.

Olch, D. (1971). Effects of haemophilia upon intellectual growth and academic achievement. Journal of Generic Psychology, 119, 635.

17.

Pless, I.B. , & Douglas, J.W.B. (1971). Chronic illness in childhood. 1: Epidemiolcgical and clinical characteristics. Paediatrics , 47, 405.

18.

Rutter, M. , & Graham, P. (1970). Psychiatric aspects of intellectual and educational retardation. In M. Rutter , J. Tizard , & I.C. Whitmore (Eds), Education, health and behaviour. London: Longman.

19.

Schwan, J.S. (1987). Assisting the parent of a child with asthma. Journal of Asthma, 24 (1), 45-54.

20.

Shere, M.O. (1957). The socio-emotional development of the twin who has cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy Review, 18, 16-18.

21.

Tavormina, J.B. , Kastner, L.S. , SLATER, PM., & Watt, S.L. (1976). Chronically ill children: A psychologically and emotionally dividant population. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 4, 99-110.

22.

Verma, S.K. , Wig, N.N. , & Pershad, D. (1985). Manual for PGI Health Questionnaire N-1. Agra: National Psychological Corporation.

23.

Waechter, E.H. (1971). Children's awareness of fatal illness. American Journal of Nursing, 2, 1168-1172.

24.

Wallander, J.L. , Varni, J.W. , Babani, L. , BANIS, H.T, & Wilcox, K.T. (1988). Children with chronic physical disorder: Maternal reports of their psychological adjustment. Journal of Paediatric Psychology, 47, 197-212.