Prospective Study of the Effectiveness of Coping in Pediatric Patients

Abstract

Findings about the influence of coping on psychological adjustment in children with different medical conditions are inconsistent and often based on cross-sectional data. This prospective study evaluated the effect of various coping strategies on children's post-traumatic stress symptoms and behavioral problems 1 month and 1 year after an accidental injury or the diagnosis of a chronic disease in 161 pediatric patients 6-15 years of age. Only minor positive effects of coping on psychosocial adjustment were found: Religious coping reduced post-traumatic stress symptoms. Active coping strategies had negative effects on internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems. Support seeking strategies, distraction, and avoidance had no impact on long-term psychosocial adjustment.

Spiritual coping, psychosocial adjustment, and physical health in youth with chronic illness: a meta-analytic review

“…The design of seven studies (50%) was cross-sectional, but two of the six longitudinal studies reported relevant statistics only for the cross-sectional associations (Benore et al, 2008;Luberto et al, 2012) and one study did not clearly specify the time points used (Lyon et al, 2014). Thus, only four studies clearly reported on longitudinal associations, spanning a one-year (Zehnder et al, 2006), two-year (Reynolds, Mrug, Hensler, et al, 2014), and five-year (Reynolds, Mrug, Britton, et al, 2014) prospective periods and a three-year retrospective period (Grossoehme et al, 2013).…”

“…Two studies developed or adapted existing questionnaires (with 12 and 24 items, respectively; Park & Nachman, 2010;Shelton, 2004); two used the average of self-developed two items (Landolt et al, 2002;Zehnder et al, 2006); and one study used a single item (Luberto et al, 2012). When reported, internal consistency of these measures was excellent for positive spiritual coping (Cronbach's α = .84 to .96) and acceptable for negative spiritual coping (α = .71 to .79).…”

“…Individual study effect sizes (r) for internalising problems ranged from −.54 to .15. Three of the seven studies included in this analysis showed significant, medium to large associations between positive spiritual coping and fewer internalising problems (r = −.37, p < .001; Reynolds, Mrug, Hensler, et al, 2014; r = −.44, p < .01; Lyon et al, 2014; r = −.54, p < .001; Shelton, 2004), while the remaining four effects were nonsignificant (Benore et al, 2008;Boeving, 2003;Cotton, Kudel, et al, 2009;Zehnder et al, 2006). Two of the seven studies used longitudinal designs, and one study (Zehnder et al) was of poorer quality due to using a self-developed two-item measure of spiritual coping.…”

Medicine for the Spirit: Religious Coping in Individuals with Medical Conditions

“…Of 189 cancer patients in England, 35%, 31%, and 18% described opportunities for personal prayer, support from people of their faith, and support from a spiritual adviser as important needs, respectively. Finally, over three fifths of hospitalized children between the ages of eight and 16 in Switzerland said they asked God for help or prayed to God for comfort [17].…”

“…Hollywell and Walker's [60] review of research on prayer suggested that studies typically find negative relationships between prayer and anxiety. Swiss children who asked God for help or prayed to God for comfort reported fewer posttraumatic stress symptoms during a follow-up assessment 11 months later [17]. In a longitudinal study of cardiac patients, positive religious coping was concurrently related to lower levels of anger coping; both positive religious coping and a composite measure of religious activities and self-rated religiousness were negatively related to hostility [10].…”