Psychosocial Adjustment in Children and Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

This study investigated the degree to which the stress of chronic illness impacted on adjustment of a sample of 50 children and adolescents with sickle cell disease. The sample was selected from patients seen in a Sickle Cell Center over an extended period of time, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. The characteristics of the illness in terms of perceived pain, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits was evaluated, as well as the nature of presenting symptoms and levels of adjustment. Results indicated that there were problems in a range of adjustment variables, particularly for adolescent males, and most significantly in the areas of behavior problems and social adjustment. The implications for adaptive coping with adolescent developmental processes were noted.