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Optimism and psychosocial functioning in caring for children with Battens and other neurological diseases
Elise E Labbé1, Irnia Lopez, Lisa Murphy
1Department of Psychology, University of South Alabama, Mobile 36688, USA. elabbe@usamail.usouthal.edu
Insights
Caregivers of children with Batten disease experience higher depression and anxiety. Optimism is linked to better psychosocial functioning for all caregivers, irrespective of the child's condition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Caregiver Support
Background:
- Batten disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder.
- Caregiver well-being is crucial for managing chronic childhood illnesses.
- Limited research exists on the psychosocial impact on caregivers of children with Batten disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare psychosocial functioning between caregivers of children with Batten disease and those with epilepsy or cerebral palsy.
- To investigate the association between caregiver optimism and psychosocial functioning.
- To identify specific challenges faced by caregivers of children with Batten disease.
Main Methods:
- Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used for group comparisons.
- The Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA) measured psychological distress and caregiver burden.
- Pearson product-moment correlations assessed the relationship between optimism (Life Orientation Test) and psychosocial functioning (Family Environment Scale, SCL-90).
Main Results:
- Caregivers of children with Batten disease reported significantly higher depression, anxiety, and caregiver burden compared to the control group (p<.01).
- Optimism scores were significantly negatively correlated with depression and anxiety, and positively with psychosocial functioning across all participants (r=-.48 to -.52, p<.01).
Conclusions:
- Caregivers of children with Batten disease experience substantial psychological distress.
- Optimism is a significant protective factor for psychosocial functioning in caregivers, regardless of the child's specific illness.
- Interventions promoting optimism may benefit caregivers of children with severe, chronic conditions.
Abstract:
Psychosocial functioning was compared between 32 caregivers of children with Batten's disease, a terminal, neurodegenerative illness, and with 20 caregivers of children with epilepsy or cerebral palsy. Caregivers' optimism was expected to be associated with better psychosocial functioning, regardless of the children's illness. A multivariate analysis of covariance indicated caregivers of children with Battens disease had significantly (p<.01) higher depression and anxiety scores on the Symptom Checklist-90 and demands on health and time schedule scores measured by the Caregiver Reaction Assessment than the comparison group. Pearson product-moment correlations were significant and ranged from -.52 to -.48 (p<.01) for scores on Life Orientation Test optimism and psychosocial functioning as measured by the Family Environment Scale and the SCL-90 for all participants. Findings suggest that caregivers of children with Battens disease experience greater psychological distress than the comparison group and that optimism is positively related to better caregivers' psychosocial functioning regardless of the type of illness.