Chronic Illness, Family Functioning, and Psychological Adjustment: A Model for the Allocation of Preventive Mental Health Services
- 1 October 1972
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in International Journal of Epidemiology
- Vol. 1 (3) , 271-277
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/1.3.271
Abstract
Pless, I. B. (Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 260 Crittendon Blvd., Rochester, N.Y. 14624, U.S.A.), Roghmann, K., and Haggerty, R. J. Chronic illness, family functioning, and psychological adjustment: a model for the allocation of preventive mental health services. Int. J. Epid. 1972, 1 : 271–277. A random sample of school age children with chronic physical disorders residing in Monroe County, New York, is described. The frequency of psychological maladjustment, as assessed by self, parent and teacher ratings, is found to be 10–15 per cent greater among the chronically ill than among healthy controls. Those among the chronically ill who are at highest risk for psychological difficulties are further identified by consideration of the quality of family life as measured by an index of family functioning. Based on these findings, it is recommended that children with chronic disorders with certain family characteristics are a high risk group who deserve special consideration in planning the allocation of mental health services.Keywords
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