Examination of Risk and Resiliency in a Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Population Using the Psychosocial Assessment Tool 2.0

Objective To evaluate the Psychosocial Assessment Tool 2.0 (PAT) as an appropriate screening measure of risk for patient and family psychological distress in pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD). Methods 219 caregivers completed the PAT during regular hematology clinic visits. Confirmatory factor analysis and tests of reliability were conducted. Multilevel modeling examined change and predictors of risk scores across four assessments. Results Confirmatory factor analysis factor loadings ranged from .03 to .81, and reliability coefficients ranged from .43 to .83. Risk for patient and sibling emotional problems, family problems, and parent stress reaction decreased over time. Increased patient age, chronic blood transfusion, lower caregiver education, caregivers being divorced, fewer adults and more children in the home, and greater financial difficulties were independent predictors of psychosocial risk. Conclusions Results suggest that the PAT has utility in a pediatric sickle cell disease sample. Most caregivers reported low distress and high resiliency factors in this population.