Psychosocial functioning, life change, and clinical status in adolescents with cystic fibrosis

Twenty-six adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) were administered the Tennessee Self Concept Scale. The mean overall scores placed the CF patients at the 30th percentile of a normative adolescent population. Eighty-five percent were at appropriate school grade level, 69% participated in physical education classes, and 81% had future plans for college and/or a career. Total Life Event scores of CF adolescents were not significantly different from the normal adolescent population. However, in 22 CF adolescents evaluated with a modified National Institute of Health Scoring System, negative Life Event scores were higher in 10 adolescents with moderate to severely impaired health status than in 12 with lesser impairment. This relationship was not modified by other psychosocial variables.