Resilience and Disruption in Observed Family Interactions in Youth With and Without Spina Bifida: An Eight-Year, Five-Wave Longitudinal Study.

Lennon JM, Murray CB, Bechtel CF, Holmbeck GN. (2015) Resilience and Disruption in Observed Family Interactions in Youth With and Without Spina Bifida: An Eight-Year, Five-Wave Longitudinal Study.

J Pediatr Psychol. 2015 Apr 24. pii: jsv033.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To examine differences between families of youth with spina bifida (SB) and families of typically developing (TD) youth on family-, parent-, and youth-level variables across preadolescence and adolescence.  METHODS:  Participants were 68 families of youth with SB and 68 families of TD youth. Ratings of observed family interactions were collected every 2 years at 5 time points (Time 1: ages 8-9 years; Time 5: ages 16-17 years).  RESULTS:  For families of youth with SB: families displayed less cohesion and more maternal psychological control during preadolescence (ages 8-9 years); parents presented as more united and displayed less dyadic conflict, and youth displayed less conflict behavior during the transition to adolescence (ages 10-13 years); mothers displayed more behavioral control during middle (ages 14-15 years) and late (ages 16-17 years) adolescence; youth displayed less engagement and more dependent behavior at every time point.  CONCLUSIONS:  Findings highlight areas of resilience and disruption in families of youth with SB across adolescence.
© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Resilience, self-esteem and self-compassion in adults with spina bifida.

Hayter MR, Dorstyn DS. (2013) Resilience, self-esteem and self-compassion in adults with spina bifida.

Spinal Cord. 2013 Dec 10. 

Study design: Cross-sectional survey.

Objectives:T o examine factors that may enhance and promote resilience in adults with spina bifida.

Setting: Community-based disability organisations within Australia.

Methods: Ninety-seven adults with a diagnosis of spina bifida (SB) completed a survey comprising of demographic questions in addition to standardised self-report measures of physical functioning (Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique), resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, 10 item), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale), self-compassion (Self-compassion Scale) and psychological distress (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, 21 item).

Results: The majority (66%) of respondents reported moderate to high resilience. Physical disability impacted on coping, with greater CD-RISC 10 scores reported by individuals who were functionally independent in addition to those who experienced less medical co-morbidities. Significant correlations between resilience and psychological traits (self-esteem r=0.36, P < 0.01; self-compassion r=0.40, P < 0.01) were also noted. However, the combined contribution of these variables only accounted for 23% of the total variance in resilience scores (R²=0.227, F(5,94)=5.23, P < 0.01).

Conclusion: These findings extend current understanding of the concept of resilience in adults with a congenital physical disability. The suggestion is that resilience involves a complex interplay between physical determinants of health and psychological characteristics, such as self-esteem and self-compassion. It follows that cognitive behavioural strategies with a focus on self-management may, in part, contribute to the process of resilience in this group. Further large-scale and longitudinal research will help to confirm these findings.

doi: 10.1038/sc.2013.152.