Gender differences in adapting to a child's chronic illness: a causal model

This study investigated (1) the differential impact of the child's chronic illness (CI) on 80 fathers and 80 mothers and the psychosocial variables contributing to their adaptation and (2) the suitability of the causal model based on the Double ABCX Model to predict parents' adaptation to the child's illness. Eight questionnaires relating to the variables were used. Path analysis revealed similarities and differences between fathers and mothers. Social support and coping behaviors were the main variables influencing both parents' adaptation. Differences between fathers and mothers are discussed in this article. The Double ABCX Model is fairly effective in conceptualizing the process of parents' adaptation to the child's CI.