Skip to main content
Log in

Social support and adjustment in chronically ill and handicapped children

  • Published:
American Journal of Community Psychology

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  • Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1983).Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist and Revised Behavior Profile. Burlington, VT: University Associates in Psychiatry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alloway, R., & Bebbington, P. (1987). The buffer theory of social support: A review of the literature.Psychological Medicine, 17, 91–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barrera, M. (1981). Social support's role in the adjustment of pregnant adolescents: Assessment issues and findings. In B. H. Gottleib (Ed.),Social networks and social support in community mental health. Beverly Hills: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Billings, A. G., & Moos, R. H. (1981). The role of coping responses and social resources in attenuating the stress of life events.Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 4, 139–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Billings, A. G., & Moos, R. H. (1982). Stressful life events and symptoms: A longitudinal model.Health Psychology, 1, 99–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Billings, A., & Moos, R. H. (1983). Comparisons of children of depressed and non-depressed parents: A social-environmental perspective.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 11, 463–485.

    Google Scholar 

  • Billings, A. G., & Moos, R. H. (1984). Coping, stress, and social resources among adults with unipolar depression.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 877–891.

    Google Scholar 

  • Billings, A. G., & Moos, R. H. (1985). Life stressors and social resources affect post-treatment outcome among depressed patients.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 94, 140–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breslau, N. (1985). Psychiatric disorder in children with physical disability.Journal of American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 24, 87–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brody, G. H., & Forehand, R. (1986). Maternal perceptions of child maladjustment as a function of the combined influences of child behavior and maternal depression.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 237–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cadman, D., Boyle, M., Szatmari, P., & Offord, D. R., (1987). Chronic illness, disability, and mental health and social well-being findings of the Ontario Child Health Study.Pediatrics, 79, 805–813.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis.Psychological Beulletin, 98, 310–357.

    Google Scholar 

  • Compas, B. E., Slavin, L. A., Wagner, B. M., & Vannatta, K. (1986). Relationship of life events and social support with psychological dysfunction among adolescents.Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 15(3), 205–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garmezy, N. (1983). Stressors of childhood. In N. Garmezy & M. Rutter (Eds.),Stress, coping, and development in children (pp. 73–84). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, M. T., Siegel, J. M., & Leitch, C. J. (1983). The nature and importance of attachment relationships to parents and peers during adolescence.Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 12, 373–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haggerty, R. J., Roughman, K. J., & Pless, I. B. (1975).Child health in the community. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartup, W. W. (1978). Children and their friends, In H. McGurk (Ed.),Issues in childhood social development (pp. 131–170). Lexington, MA: Lexington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holahan, C. J., & Moos, R. H. (1981). Social support and psychological distress: A longitudinal analysis.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 90, 306–309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holahan, C. J., & Moos, R. H. (1983). The quality of social support: Measures of family and work relationships.British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 22, 157–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holahan, C. J., & Moos, R. H. (1985). Life stress and health: Personality, coping, and family support in stress resistance.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 739–747.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holahan, C. J., & Moos, R. H. (1986). Personality, coping and family resources in stress resistance: A longitudinal analysis.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 389–395.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holahan, C. J., & Moos, R. H. (1987). Risk, resistance, and psychological distress: A longitudinal analysis with adults and children.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 96, 3–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, B. H., & Cassel, J. C. (1975).Family and health: An epidemiological approach. Chapel Hill, NC: Institute for Research in Social Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, D. B., & Russ, S. W. (1985).Mediating variables bewteen life stress and symptoms among young adolescents. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Los Angeles.

  • Litman, T. J. (1974). The family is a basic unit in health and medical care: A social-behavioral overview.Social Science and Medicine, 8, 495–519.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moos, R. H. (1985). Evaluating social resources in community and health care contexts. In P. Karoly (Ed.),Measurement strategics in health psychology (pp. 433–460). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moos, R. H., & Moos, B. S. (1981).Family Environment Scale. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pless, I. B. (1968). Epidemiology of chronic disease. In M. Green & R. J. Maggerty (Eds.),Ambulatory pediatrics. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pless, I. B., & Douglas, J. W. B. (1971). Chronic illness in childhood: Part 1. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics.Pediatrics, 47, 405–414.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pless, I. B., & Perrin, J. M. (1985). Issues common to a variety of illnesses. In H. Hobbs & J. M. Perrin (Eds.),Issues in the care of children with chronic illnesses (pp. 41–60). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pless, I. B., & Pinkerton, P. (1975).Chronic childhood disorders: Promoting patterns of adjustment. Chicago: Year Book Medical.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pless, I. B., & Roughman, K. J. (1971). Chronic illness and its consequences: Observations based on three epidemiological surveys.Journal of Pediatrics, 79, 351–359.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (1983). Stress, coping, and development: Some issues and some questions. In N. Garmezy & M. Rutter (Eds.),Stress, coping, and development in children (pp. 1–41). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., Tizard, J., & Whitmore, K. (Eds.). (1970).Education, health, and behavior. London: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandler, R. N. (1980). Social support resources, stress and maladjustment.American Journal of Community Psychology, 10, 65–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein, R. E. K., & Jessop, D. J. (1982). A non-categorical approach to chronic childhood illness.Public Health Report, 97, 353–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Varni, J. W., Rubenfeld, L., Talbot, D., & Setoguchi, Y. (in press). Stress, social support, and depressive symptomology in children with congenital/acquired limb deficiency.Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

  • Varni, J. W., & Wallander, J. L. (1988a).Psychological adjustment of chronically ill and handicapped children: A multivariate model. Manuscript in progress, Orthopaedic Hospital, Los Angeles.

    Google Scholar 

  • Varni, J. W., & Wallander, J. L. (1988b). Pediatric chronic disabilities: Hemophilia and spina bifida as examples. In D. K. Routh (Ed.),Handbook of pediatric psychology (pp. 190–221). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, L. S., & Greene, J. W. (1987). Negative life events, psychosocial resources, and psychophysiolgoical symptoms in adolescents.Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 16, 29–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallander, J. L. (1987).Competence, stress, and disabled children's adjustment. Funded grant proposal, NICHD; Sparks Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallander, J. L. (1988).Mentally retarded adolescents' stress and coping. Grant proposal submitted, Sparks Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallander, J. L., Feldman, W., & Varni, J. W. (1989). Physical status and psychosocial adjustment in children with spina bifida.Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 14, 89–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallander, J. L., & Hubert, N. C. (1987). Peer social dysfunction in children with developmental disabilities: Empirical basis and a conceptual model.Clinical Psychology Review, 7, 205–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallander, J. L., Varni, J. W., Babani, L., Banis, H. T., DeHaan, C. B., & Wilcox, K. T. (1989). Disability parameters, chronic strain, and adaptation of physically handicapped children and their mothers.Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 14, 23–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallander, J. L., Varni, J. W., Babani, L., Banis, H. T., & Wilcox, K. T. (1988). Children with chronic physical disorders: Maternal reports of their psychological adjustment.Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 13, 197–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, Y. R. (1985). Social support and social networks: Nature and measurement. In P. McReynolds (Ed.),Advances in psychological assessment (Vol. 6, pp. 312–353). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

This research was supported in part by grants to Varni from Crippled Children's Guild through the Behavioral Pediatrics Program at Orthopaedic Hospital, Los Angeles and to Wallander from the University of Southern California Faculty Research and Innovation Fund, Biomedical Research Support Grant program, and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Grant #HD24322). The helpful comments of several anonymous reviewers are appreciatively acknowledged.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wallander, J.L., Varni, J.W. Social support and adjustment in chronically ill and handicapped children. Am J Commun Psychol 17, 185–201 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00931007

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00931007

Keywords

Navigation