A dyadic perspective on parent-child dyadic coping in children with a chronic condition

Objective: In this study, we examined the extent to which parents and their children with a chronic condition communicate their stress to one another and whether stress communication is associated with different forms of dyadic coping. Methods: In a sample of 239 parent -child dyads, self -reported stress communication and different forms of perceived dyadic coping (i.e., emotion -oriented, problem -oriented, and negative dyadic coping) were assessed using a cross-sectional design. Results: We first found that children's stress communication was positively associated with more positive ( r = 0.28, p < .001) and less negative dyadic coping responses by children ( r = -0.22, p < .001). Children's stress communication was also associated with more positive ( r = 0.52, r = 0.45, p 's < 0.001), and less negative dyadic coping responses by parents ( r = -0.19, p < .001). Using dyadic data of children with a chronic condition and their parents, we found that more stress communication of children was associated with healthier coping responses of both children (perceived emotion -oriented dyadic coping: beta = 0.23, p < .001) and parents (perceived emotion -oriented dyadic coping: beta = 0.33, p < .001; perceived problem -oriented dyadic coping: beta = 0.22, p < .001). Conclusion: This underscores the importance of communication and adaptive coping strategies of parents and children in the context of a child's chronic condition. These findings may help us find ways to support children and their parents to optimally communicate about and deal with their stress.