Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (27)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sharpe, D.
Right arrow Articles by Rossiter, L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sharpe, D.
Right arrow Articles by Rossiter, L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Vol. 27, No. 8, 2002, pp. 699-710
© 2002 Society of Pediatric Psychology

Siblings of Children With a Chronic Illness: A Meta-Analysis

Donald Sharpe, PhD and Lucille Rossiter, MA

University of Regina

All correspondence should be sent to Donald Sharpe, Department of Psychology, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4S OA2. E-mail: sharped{at}uregina.ca.

Objective: To review the literature pertaining to the siblings of children with a chronic illness.

Methods: Fifty-one published studies and 103 effect sizes were identified and examined through meta-analysis.

Results: We found (1) a modest, negative effect size statistic existed for siblings of children with a chronic illness relative to comparison participants or normative data; (2) heterogeneity existed for those effect sizes; (3) parent reports were more negative than child self-reports; (4) psychological functioning (i.e., depression, anxiety), peer activities, and cognitive development scores were lower for siblings of children with a chronic illness compared to controls; and (5) a cluster of chronic illnesses with daily treatment regimes was associated with negative effect statistics compared to chronic illnesses that did not affect daily functioning.

Conclusions: More methodologically sound studies investigating the psychological functioning of siblings of children with a chronic illness are needed. Clinicians need to know that siblings of children with a chronic illness are at risk for negative psychological effects. Intervention programs for the siblings and families of children with a chronic illness should be developed.

Key words: pediatric chronic illness; siblings; meta-analysis; psychological adjustment.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J Pediatr PsycholHome page
D. J. Lobato and B. T. Kao
Brief Report: Family-Based Group Intervention for Young Siblings of Children with Chronic Illness and Developmental Disability
J. Pediatr. Psychol., December 1, 2005; 30(8): 678 - 682.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Pediatr PsycholHome page
D. Drotar
Commentary: Involving Families in Psychological Interventions in Pediatric Psychology: Critical Needs and Dilemmas
J. Pediatr. Psychol., December 1, 2005; 30(8): 689 - 693.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Pediatr PsycholHome page
R. Rodenburg, G. J. Stams, A. M. Meijer, A. P. Aldenkamp, and M. Dekovic
Psychopathology in Children with Epilepsy: A Meta-Analysis
J. Pediatr. Psychol., September 1, 2005; 30(6): 453 - 468.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Pediatr PsycholHome page
B. A. Houtzager, F. J. Oort, J. E. H. M. Hoekstra-Weebers, H. N. Caron, M. A. Grootenhuis, and B. F. Last
Coping and Family Functioning Predict Longitudinal Psychological Adaptation of Siblings of Childhood Cancer Patients
J. Pediatr. Psychol., December 1, 2004; 29(8): 591 - 605.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Pediatr PsycholHome page
M. A. Alderfer, L. E. Labay, and A. E. Kazak
Brief Report: Does Posttraumatic Stress Apply to Siblings of Childhood Cancer Survivors?
J. Pediatr. Psychol., June 1, 2003; 28(4): 281 - 286.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.