Family functioning and social support in the adaptation of caregivers of children with sickle cell syndromes

Objective: To examine moderating effects of family functioning and social s upport on the relationship of child-related stressors to caregivers' psycho logical adaptation in a sample of caregivers of children with a chronic ill ness. Method: Participants were 67 caregivers of children and adolescents with si ckle cell syndromes. We conducted MANOVAs and subsequent effect size calcul ations to determine if family functioning would buffer the effects of carin g for difficult-to-manage children with this illness. Results: Findings supported a moderator effect of family functioning on the association of children's externalizing behavioral problems to caregivers' symptoms of hostility. Greater levels of cohesive and adaptive family func tioning buffered the potential detrimental effects of caring for children p erceived as hard to manage. No significant associations were obtained betwe en measures of caregivers' psychological adaptation and the severity of the ir children's disease. Conclusions: We make recommendations for family systems interventions, part icularly for caregivers of children with behavior problems.