Psychosocial adjustment in children with kidney disease

Abstract

Objective: To examine family environment, levels of parenting stress, and child behavior problems in children with one of three kidney diseases compared to healthy children and to examine predictors of psychological distress in the full sample. Method: Parents of children with steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome, chronic renal insufficiency, or kidney transplant (n = 41) were compared to 34 healthy children of similar demographic characteristics. Results: Mean scores on family functioning, parenting stress, and child behavior were within normal limits. Family environment variables significantly predicted child behavior and parenting stress for parents of ill and healthy children. Qualitative responses provided insight into developmentally specific stressors and intervention needs in the illness groups. Conclusions: These data indicate that long-term survivors of kidney disease function similarly to demographically matched peers and that the family environment may buffer stress caused by illness. Specific concerns raised by parents in the kidney disease groups indicate the need to appropriately assess and intervene with this understudied population.