Siblings and Illness

Abstract

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-Mother and Child samples, I investigated the relationships among child and adolescent depressive symptoms, having a chronically ill sibling, and other child and familial demographic variables. From research on social support and social role transitions, with the stress process as a theoretical model, I hypothesized that children with chronically ill siblings experience more depressive symptoms. Specifically, I looked at age, gender, birth order and family size as potentially reducing the effect size of having a chronically ill sibling. Findings showed that having a chronically ill sibling is associated with demonstrating more depressive symptoms both in the bivariate and multivariate analyses. Although age, gender, birth order and family size do not interact significantly with having a chronically ill sibling in predicting depressive symptoms, they do present interesting findings about childhood depressive symptoms in general. Thus, the results of this study suggest specific and meaningful paths for future research.

Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives of Siblings of Children With Cochlear Implants

“…That is, older children may accept having a brother or sister with an exceptionality more readily than a younger child. However, studies of typically developing siblings of a child with special needs show no significant effect of chronological age of the sibling on the sibling relationship (Mandleco et al, 2003;Vanderwerp, 2011).…”

“…Research exploring the effect of having a brother or sister with exceptionalities on quality of life and behavioral issues of the typically developing sibling yields conflicting results. Some studies report higher rates of internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety, depression), emotional or behavioral problems, or poorer quality of life in the typically developing siblings of children with exceptionalities (Barnett & Hunter, 2012;Giallo et al, 2012;Newcon, 2004;Sharpe & Rossiter, 2002;Vanderwerp, 2011). In contrast, other studies indicate no significant differences in mental health status (Ryan, 2009).…”

“…The influence of having a brother or sister with exceptionalities can have a confluence of effects on a typically developing sibling's perception of themselves, their brother or sister, and the family itself. The majority of studies examining effects on typically developing siblings focus on developmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder; Aronson, 2009;Meadan et al, 2010;O'Laughlin, 2006), chronic illness (e.g., cystic fibrosis, diabetes ;Fleary & Heffer, 2013;Foster et al, 2001;Incledon et al, 2015;Newcon, 2004;Ryan, 2009;Vanderwerp, 2011;Wennick & Huus, 2012), mental health problems (Barnett & Hunter, 2012;Giallo et al, 2012), neurological disorders (e.g., Tourette syndrome; Maleki-Tehrani, 2006), or physical disabilities (Pit-Ten Cate & Loots, 2000). Thus, many of the studies investigating the effects of exceptionalities on typically developing siblings involve children with visible disorders.…”

“…Some studies report older siblings with TH have a greater sense of accountability for their younger brother or sister with HL, particularly in social environments (Antonopoulou et al, 2012;Bat-Chava & Martin, 2002;Hadjikakou et al, 2010). However, not all studies provide evidence that birth order influences the quality of the sibling relationship or the quality of life of the sibling with TH when one child in the family has HL (Vanderwerp, 2011;Verte et al, 2006). Similar to birth order, chronological age of the sibling with TH could influence how they process the idea of having a brother or sister with HL based on developmental stage.…”