Caregiver personality characteristics and adaptation to juvenile rheumaticdisease

Objective: To assess the impact of caregiver personality characteristics on the adaptation of children with juvenile rheumatic diseases (JRDs). Method : This study examined the relationships between caregivers' personality cha racteristics and adaptation among 59 children with JRDs. The NEO Five-Facto r Inventory was administered to caregivers, and scores on each scale sen;ed as predictor variables. Criterion variables included child emotional and b ehavior problems, depression, self-esteem, and pain. Results: Pearson corre lation coefficients and hierarchical regression analyses revealed that care givers' personality scores were related to indexes of emotional functioning , depression, self-esteem, and pain. Conclusion: Identification of specific caregiver personality characteristics that enhance or detract from childre n's adaptation may facilitate early identification of risk and protective f actors and the development of interventions.