PREDICTORS OF COPING WITH PAIN IN MOTHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN WITH SICKLE-CELL SYNDROME

This study examined predictors of strategies used to cope with pain in children with sickle cell disease and their mothers. Method: Disease severity, socioeconomic status, child adjustment and adaptive behavior , maternal psychopathology, and family functioning were examined in 55 mother-child dyads to determine the predictive potential of these fac tors on engagement and disengagement coping. Results: While controllin g for socioeconomic status and psychopathology in the mothers, 15% of the variance in engagement coping was predicted by family adaptability . Disengagement coping was predicted by internalizing symptoms exhibit ed by the child, including a negative and pessimistic attributional st yle, which accounted for nearly one fifth of the variance. Finally, mo thers who reported more active strategies for coping with their child' s pain were more likely to endorse greater use of techniques to preven t and effectively manage pain in their children. Conclusions: Neither coping strategy was predicted by severity of disease presentation in t he children, suggesting the importance of psychosocial factors in adap ting to childhood chronic illness and that severity of disease may not necessarily be a marker for families at risk for adjustment difficult ies. Findings were interpreted to support a systemic family model in p romoting active and adaptive engagement coping in caretakers of childr en with sickle cell syndrome.