Family functioning and social support in the adaptation of caregivers of children with sickle cell syndromes

Objective: To examine moderating effects of family functioning and social support on the relationship of child-related stressors to caregivers' psychological adaptation in a sample of caregivers of children with a chronic illness. Method: Participants were 67 caregivers of children and adolescents with sickle cell syndromes. We conducted MANOVAs and subsequent effect size calculations to determine if family functioning would buffer the effects of caring for difficult-to-manage children with this illness. Results: Findings supported a moderator effect of family functioning on the association of children's externalizing behavioral problems to caregivers' symptoms of hostility. Greater levels of cohesive and adaptive family functioning buffered the potential detrimental effects of caring for children perceived as hard to manage. No significant associations were obtained between measures of caregivers' psychological adaptation and the severity of their children's disease. Conclusions: We make recommendations for family systems interventions, particularly for caregivers of children with behavior problems.