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Chronic and discrete stress as predictors of children's adjustment
1Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical School, Washington, DC 20007, USA. holmesc@medlib.georgetown.edu
Insights
Children with diabetes and negative life events (NLEs) face more behavior problems. Family conflict worsens these issues, while low conflict offers protection, highlighting the family
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Child Behavioral Health
- Family Environment Studies
Background:
- Chronic stressors like diabetes and discrete stressors like negative life events (NLEs) impact child behavioral adjustment.
- The family environment, including conflict and cohesion, may influence these stressor-behavior relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between diabetes, NLEs, and children's internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) behavior problems.
- To examine the moderating role of family environment factors (conflict, cohesion) on these relationships.
Main Methods:
- Assessed diabetes and NLEs as stressors.
- Evaluated family conflict and cohesion.
- Measured children's INT and EXT behavior problems and social competencies.
Main Results:
- Both diabetes and NLEs predicted increased INT and EXT behavior problems.
- Family conflict exacerbated EXT behavior problems in children with diabetes and INT-EXT behaviors with NLEs.
- Low family conflict protected children from the negative behavioral impacts of stressors.
- Family cohesion predicted social competencies but did not moderate stressor effects.
Conclusions:
- Family environment, particularly conflict, significantly moderates the impact of stressors like diabetes and NLEs on child behavior.
- Low family conflict is a protective factor for children's behavioral adjustment.
- Interventions should consider family dynamics when addressing behavioral issues in children facing chronic or acute stressors.
Abstract:
Diabetes, as a chronic stressor, and negative life events (NLEs), as a discrete stressor, were related to children's behavioral adjustment, along with moderating effects of the family environment. Diabetes and NLEs predicted both higher internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) behavior problems, suggestive of nonspecific distress. Higher family conflict and lower cohesion each predicted more behavior problems (INT-EXT). However, conflict was the sole moderator of the stressors. Higher family conflict and diabetes exacerbated children's EXT behavior problems, with clinically elevated scores. Higher family conflict and higher NLEs resulted in clinically elevated INT-EXT behaviors. Conversely, low family conflict protected children's behavioral functioning from the stressors. Family cohesion was the sole predictor of children's social competencies but did not moderate the stressors.