AIM AND METHODS: Based on the investigation of 134 families with a seriously ill parent and 214 offspring, we compared--by means of semistructured psychiatric interviews--the capacity of the ill and the healthy parent and their children to cope with various diseases. We evaluated how disease characteristics such as duration and severity of the disease (assessed by the Karnofsky Index) and associated depression [measured by the Beck Depression Inventory for parents and the Depression Inventory for Children and Adolescents (Depressions-Inventar für Kinder und Jugendliche) for children] influence the coping capacity of all family members. RESULTS: The coping capacity of patients with organic disease (cancer, multiple sclerosis, other somatic diseases) is significantly higher than that of patients with somatization disorder, whereas the depression score of patients with organic disease is significantly lower than that of patients with somatization disorders. The depression of the patient negatively influences his/her coping capacity. Children's coping capacity does not differ with respect to the parental illness and is not influenced by their own depression. There are significant correlations between the coping capacity of children and their healthy and ill parents affected by organic disease (multiple sclerosis, other somatic diseases, cancer), but not between children and healthy and ill parents with somatization disorders. Multivariate regression analysis shows the mutual influence of coping capacities between the parental couple as well as between the parents and their children. The better the patient (partner) is able to cope with a severe disease, the higher are the values of the coping capacity of the partner (patient). Children older than 6 years with a severely ill, nondepressed and well-coping parent cope well. These results do not apply to parents with somatization disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with organic disease cope better and are less depressed, whereas patients with somatization disorders have a lower coping capacity and a higher depression score. Children older than six years cope better. Comprehensive care of a patient with a severe illness has to include his/her family in order to evaluate coping capacities of all family members, particularly of small children, and to assess and treat associated parental depression.
