Stress Coping Among Siblings of Children with Chronic Health Conditions

Siblings of children with chronic health conditions (SCCHCs) are often exposed to potentially stressful situations (e.g., reduced attention). Stress coping behaviors may moderate the effects of stressors on quality of life of SCCHCs. However, there is only limited evidence for this mechanism. Person-centered approaches using clustering methods may map behavioral variance more accurately. The purpose of this study was to derive stress coping patterns of SCCHCs and investigate their associations with demographic measures and quality of life. 81 SCCHCs aged 6-16 were included. Their siblings had various conditions (e.g., 28% neoplasm/cancer, 14% developmental abnormalities). The German Coping Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents measured five stress coping behaviors. The KIDSCREEN-10 index measured quality of life. A hierarchical cluster analysis was followed by a non-hierarchical k-means cluster analysis. Results were validated by latent profile analysis. Minimization, situation control, positive self-instructions, and need for social support correlated with quality of life. Cluster analysis yielded two stress coping patterns: high copers (37%) reported more frequent usage of all five coping behaviors compared to low copers (63%). Latent profile analysis widely confirmed this but indicated the possibility for more behavioral patterns. High copers were younger than low copers which may be explained by greater felt stress. The two patterns did not differ regarding quality of life. Follow-up analyses revealed that already using one coping strategy was beneficial rather than being a high coper overall. Interventions facilitating minimization, situation control, positive self-instructions, and need for social support coping strategies are suggested to promote wellbeing among SCCHCs.