School of Medicine and Health Sciences Poster Presentations
Agreement between Parents and Children regarding Child Mental and Behavioral Health Symptoms in Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Hematology Clinics
Document Type
Poster
Keywords
psychology; allergy; anxiety
Publication Date
Spring 2017
Abstract
Background: The purpose of this project was to evaluate agreement about mental health among parents and children who participated in a mental health screening program in pediatric allergy, immunology, and hematology clinics.
Methods: Patients aged 8-17 and their parents (n=70) treated in the Division of Allergy and Immunology and the Division of Hematology at Children’s National Health System completed the PROMIS Pediatric Profile 25, a mental and behavioral health measure of physical functioning, anxiety, depressive symptoms, fatigue, peer relationships, and pain interference. Patients with asthma and their parents also completed the PROMIS Asthma Impact module. T scores were calculated for each patient and parent.
Results: Patients were 57% female with a mean age of 12.08 years (SD=2.89). Most patients identified as African-American (56%) or Caucasian (23%); 58% had asthma. Parent and child T scores for the Pediatric Profile domains were positively correlated, r range=.28-.60, ps<.05, indicating strong agreement between raters. Parent and child ratings of the impact of asthma were not significantly correlated, r=.23, p>.05. Parents estimated that asthma had a greater impact than child raters. Overall, parent-child agreement was unrelated to patient age, race, or sex, all ps>.05. However, male patients were less likely to agree with parents regarding their anxiety than females; parents underestimated male patients’ anxiety and overestimated female patients’ anxiety, F(1,68)=5.05, p<.05.
Conclusions: Children with chronic illnesses and their parents generally agreed about child mental and behavioral health symptoms. Mental health discussions should include children, especially regarding anxiety, as parent-child agreement may be less likely.
Creative Commons License
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Open Access
1
Agreement between Parents and Children regarding Child Mental and Behavioral Health Symptoms in Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Hematology Clinics
Background: The purpose of this project was to evaluate agreement about mental health among parents and children who participated in a mental health screening program in pediatric allergy, immunology, and hematology clinics.
Methods: Patients aged 8-17 and their parents (n=70) treated in the Division of Allergy and Immunology and the Division of Hematology at Children’s National Health System completed the PROMIS Pediatric Profile 25, a mental and behavioral health measure of physical functioning, anxiety, depressive symptoms, fatigue, peer relationships, and pain interference. Patients with asthma and their parents also completed the PROMIS Asthma Impact module. T scores were calculated for each patient and parent.
Results: Patients were 57% female with a mean age of 12.08 years (SD=2.89). Most patients identified as African-American (56%) or Caucasian (23%); 58% had asthma. Parent and child T scores for the Pediatric Profile domains were positively correlated, r range=.28-.60, ps<.05, indicating strong agreement between raters. Parent and child ratings of the impact of asthma were not significantly correlated, r=.23, p>.05. Parents estimated that asthma had a greater impact than child raters. Overall, parent-child agreement was unrelated to patient age, race, or sex, all ps>.05. However, male patients were less likely to agree with parents regarding their anxiety than females; parents underestimated male patients’ anxiety and overestimated female patients’ anxiety, F(1,68)=5.05, p<.05.
Conclusions: Children with chronic illnesses and their parents generally agreed about child mental and behavioral health symptoms. Mental health discussions should include children, especially regarding anxiety, as parent-child agreement may be less likely.
Comments
Poster to be presented at GW Annual Research Days 2017.