Child Attitude Toward Illness Scale (CATIS): A systematic review of the literature

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Psychology
• Child Psychiatry
• Chronic Illness Management

Background:

• Pediatric chronic illnesses significantly impact children's lives.
• Understanding children's attitudes toward illness is crucial for effective management.
• The Child Attitude Toward Illness Scale (CATIS) is a key instrument in this assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review literature on the Child Attitude Toward Illness Scale (CATIS) in pediatric chronic illness.
• To evaluate the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the CATIS.
• To provide recommendations for the use of CATIS in pediatric populations, including epilepsy.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review using Medline and PsychINFO databases.
• Identification and analysis of twenty-two relevant publications.
• Examination of the CATIS's reliability, validity, and associations with various child outcomes.

Main Results:

• The CATIS is a reliable and valid self-report tool for children aged 8-22 across chronic illnesses, including epilepsy.
• CATIS scores correlate with cognitive appraisal, internalizing symptoms, and show initial support for links to externalizing behavior, academic functioning, and psychosocial needs.
• Findings regarding demographic, disease, social, and family functioning were mixed.

Conclusions:

• The CATIS is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring illness attitudes in pediatric chronic illness.
• The CATIS demonstrates clinical utility for assessing adjustment outcomes, particularly in pediatric epilepsy.
• Recommendations are provided for the effective use of the CATIS in clinical and research settings.