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Does family functioning affect outcome in children with neurological disorders?
1The Medical School, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. b.r.stanton@ncl.ac.uk
Insights
Family functioning significantly impacts behavioral adjustment in children with traumatic brain injuries. Further research is needed for epilepsy and other neurological disorders to improve child outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Child psychology
- Family studies
Background:
- Children with neurological disorders often face challenges in psychological and social adjustment.
- Medical factors alone do not fully account for variations in outcomes.
- Family dynamics are increasingly recognized as crucial for child development and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing research on the influence of family functioning on outcomes for children with neurological conditions.
- To evaluate the impact of family variables on children with traumatic brain injuries, epilepsy, and other neurological disorders.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of studies investigating family functioning and child outcomes.
- Analysis of research focusing on traumatic brain injuries, epilepsy, and other neurological conditions.
- Assessment of methodological quality, including study design and control for confounding variables.
Main Results:
- Strong evidence indicates that family functioning positively influences behavioral and adaptive outcomes following traumatic brain injury.
- The specific role of family functioning in outcomes for children with epilepsy and other neurological disorders requires more extensive investigation.
- Methodological limitations, such as cross-sectional designs and inadequate controls, were noted in several studies.
Conclusions:
- Family functioning is a key factor in the adjustment of children with traumatic brain injuries.
- Further research is essential to understand and address the impact of family dynamics on children with epilepsy and other neurological conditions.
- Interventions aimed at enhancing family functioning hold potential for significant clinical benefits for affected children and their families.
Abstract:
Children with neurological disorders are at increased risk of poor psychological and social adjustment. Medical factors are insufficient to explain the individual variation in outcome, so family variables have been considered. This review evaluates studies which have investigated the effect of family functioning on outcome in children with traumatic brain injuries, epilepsy and other neurological disorders. Methodological problems include the cross-sectional nature of many studies and inadequate control for confounding variables. There is good evidence that family functioning influences behavioural adjustment and adaptive functioning after traumatic brain injury. The role of family functioning in epilepsy and other neurological disorders requires further investigation. The development of effective interventions to improve family functioning may lead to important clinical benefits for children and their families.