Resilience in pediatric sickle cell disease and cancer: Social ecology indicators of health-related quality of life

Abstract

Promoting resilience for children and adolescents with chronic health conditions has been a guiding framework for the field of pediatric psychology. Much of the literature is now focused on the specific risk and resource factors that contribute to psychosocial outcomes, specifically, how to improve health-related quality of life (HRQL) with targeted and effective interventions. Pediatric cancer and sickle cell disease (SCD) serve as excellent examples to highlight risk and resource factors associated with resilience as similarities and differences in sociodemographics, disease characteristics, and treatments allow for unique comparisons and generalizations to other chronic health conditions. This chapter includes a description of risk and resource factors and associated interventions within a social ecological framework for both pediatric cancer and pediatric SCD taking into consideration the individual, family systems, social, and health care systems level. Future directions to address risk and resource factors within each level are provided.