PSYCHOSOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION IN DONOR ANDNONDONOR SIBLINGS

We investigated the psychosocial effects of bone marrow transplantatio n (BMT) on siblings of transplant recipients. We asked how donor sibli ngs compared with nondonor siblings on quantitative measures of behavi or, psychological distress, and sense of self. Participants included 4 4 siblings (21 donors and 23 nondonors, ages 6-18 yr) of surviving ped iatric BMT patients. On self-report measures, donors reported signific antly more anxiety and lower self-esteem than nondonors. On teacher-ra ted scales, donors showed significantly more adaptive skills in school . On these same scales, nondonors showed significantly more school pro blems than donors. One-third of the siblings in each group reported a moderate level of post-traumatic stress reaction. Exploratory multiple regression analyses point to factors that might influence sibling adj ustment and suggest counseling strategies and avenues for future resea rch.