Coping Strategies of Children and Adolescents with Clinically Diagnosed Short Stature

TY - JOUR

T1 - Coping Strategies of Children and Adolescents with Clinically Diagnosed Short Stature

AU - Quitmann, Julia Hannah

AU - Rohenkohl, Anja

AU - Specht, Anja

AU - Petersen-Ewert, Corinna

AU - Schillmöller, Zita

AU - Bullinger-Naber, Monika

AU - QoLISSY Study Group

PY - 2015/3/1

Y1 - 2015/3/1

N2 - This paper focusses on coping strategiesemployed by children and adolescents with diagnosed shortstature, assesses the impact of socio-demographic andclinical characteristics on coping, examines the relation-ship between coping and health related quality of life(QoL) and investigates the role of coping strategies inmediating the relationship between height and QoL. Cop-ing with a disease (CODI) and quality of life in shortstature youth (QoLISSY–QoL) questionnaires were com-pleted by 137 short-statured children and adolescentsbetween 8 and 18 years, participating in the crosssectionalEuropean QoLISSY study. Clinical and socio-demographicdata were collected to examine differences in coping viavariance and regression analyses, associations betweenCODI and QoLISSY were inspected using correlation andmediation analyses. Most frequently employed copingstrategies in the CODI were ‘‘Acceptance’’ and ‘‘WishfulThinking’’, with ‘‘Emotional Reaction’’ used least. Signif-icant effects of age, diagnosis and treatment status oncoping strategies were detected. CODI scales ‘‘Accep-tance’’ and ‘‘Distance’’ were associated with higherQoLISSY–QoL scores, ‘‘Emotional Reaction’’ and‘‘Wishful Thinking’’ with lower scores. Coping strategiespredicted 60 % of the QoLISSY–QoL variance. Relation-ships between height deviation and QoLISSY–QoL weremediated by the coping strategies of ‘‘Wishful Thinking’’and ‘‘Distance’’. Findings suggest that coping efforts varywith socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, thatprotective coping strategies in terms of QoL can be iden-tified and that coping mediates the relationship betweenshort stature and QoL. Future longitudinal research shouldfocus on the adaptive function of coping in relation to QoLover time.

AB - This paper focusses on coping strategiesemployed by children and adolescents with diagnosed shortstature, assesses the impact of socio-demographic andclinical characteristics on coping, examines the relation-ship between coping and health related quality of life(QoL) and investigates the role of coping strategies inmediating the relationship between height and QoL. Cop-ing with a disease (CODI) and quality of life in shortstature youth (QoLISSY–QoL) questionnaires were com-pleted by 137 short-statured children and adolescentsbetween 8 and 18 years, participating in the crosssectionalEuropean QoLISSY study. Clinical and socio-demographicdata were collected to examine differences in coping viavariance and regression analyses, associations betweenCODI and QoLISSY were inspected using correlation andmediation analyses. Most frequently employed copingstrategies in the CODI were ‘‘Acceptance’’ and ‘‘WishfulThinking’’, with ‘‘Emotional Reaction’’ used least. Signif-icant effects of age, diagnosis and treatment status oncoping strategies were detected. CODI scales ‘‘Accep-tance’’ and ‘‘Distance’’ were associated with higherQoLISSY–QoL scores, ‘‘Emotional Reaction’’ and‘‘Wishful Thinking’’ with lower scores. Coping strategiespredicted 60 % of the QoLISSY–QoL variance. Relation-ships between height deviation and QoLISSY–QoL weremediated by the coping strategies of ‘‘Wishful Thinking’’and ‘‘Distance’’. Findings suggest that coping efforts varywith socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, thatprotective coping strategies in terms of QoL can be iden-tified and that coping mediates the relationship betweenshort stature and QoL. Future longitudinal research shouldfocus on the adaptive function of coping in relation to QoLover time.

U2 - 10.1007/s10826-013-9880-5

DO - 10.1007/s10826-013-9880-5

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

VL - 24

SP - 703

EP - 714

JO - J CHILD FAM STUD

JF - J CHILD FAM STUD

SN - 1062-1024

IS - 3

ER -