Parenting stress among caregivers of children with chronic illness: a systematic review
Abstract
Objective To critically review, analyze, and synthesize the literature on parenting stress among caregivers of children with asthma, cancer, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, epilepsy, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and/or sickle cell disease. Method PsychInfo, MEDLINE, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched according to inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of 13 studies and qualitative analysis of 96 studies was conducted. Results Caregivers of children with chronic illness reported significantly greater general parenting stress than caregivers of healthy children (d = .40; p = ≤.0001). Qualitative analysis revealed that greater general parenting stress was associated with greater parental responsibility for treatment management and was unrelated to illness duration and severity across illness populations. Greater parenting stress was associated with poorer psychological adjustment in caregivers and children with chronic illness. Conclusion Parenting stress is an important target for future intervention. General and illness-specific measures of parenting stress should be used in future studies.
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A substantial body of evidence suggests that successful developmental trajectories in people with chronic medical conditions are influenced as much by the psychosocial environment, supports, and organization of healthcare delivery as by the specific nature of the person's medical condition.
“Yet, a substantial body of evidence suggests that successful developmental trajectories in people with chronic medical conditions are influenced as much by the psychosocial environment, supports, and organization of healthcare delivery as by the specific nature of the person's medical condition (526,527).”
From Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia—Current Insights in Pathophysiology, Diagnostics, and Management (2022) · cites this paper as [527]
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- Authors
- Cousino, M. K., & Hazen, R. A.
- Affiliations
- Case Western Reserve University (US)
- Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital (US)
- ORCID
- Cousino, M. K.
- Venue
- Journal of Pediatric Psychology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2013-07-10
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 809-828
- ISSN
- 0146-8693 (ISSN-L)
- 1465-735X
- OpenAlex
- W2101409454
- Cited by
- 873
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 87 · 2025: 79 · 2024: 77 · 2023: 68 · 2022: 100 · 2021: 90 · 2020: 93 · 2019: 68 · 2018: 63 · 2017: 55 · 2016: 42 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 4.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Pediatric Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Case Western Reserve University
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family and Disability Support Research
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Family Support in Illness
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
- Keywords
- parental stress, caregivers, children with chronic illness, asthma, childhood cancer, cystic fibrosis, diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, sickle cell disease
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Child, Chronic Disease, Humans, Stress, Psychological, Parenting, Caregivers
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