Children with Juvenile Rheumatic Disease: the Role of Causal Attributions in the Parent Distress Child Depressive Symptom Relation

Abstract

Objective: To examine children's attributional style as a mediator in the parent distress-child depressive symptom relation in youth diagnosed with juvenile rheumatic diseases (JRDs) and their parents. Method: Fifty-two youth completed the Children's Attribution Style Questionnaire and the Children's Depression Inventory; parents completed the Brief Symptom Inventory. Results: Children's pessimistic attributions mediated the association between parent distress and child depressive symptoms, when controlling for demographic and disease variables. These findings suggest that parent distress engenders depressogenic attributions in children with JRDs, resulting in an increased susceptibility for developing depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Results suggest that parents and youth could benefit from psychosocial interventions that focus on the attenuation of parental distress and address cognitive appraisals related to child adjustment. Interventions that focus on educating parents in ways to assist their children in the development of realistic expectations about their illness and promoting age-appropriate levels of mastery are indicated.