Profiles of Connectedness: Processes of Resilience and Growth in Children With Cancer

J Pediatr Psychol. 2015 Oct;40(9):904-13. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsv036. Epub 2015 May 11.

Abstract

Objective: Identified patterns of connectedness in youth with cancer and demographically similar healthy peers.

Method: Participants included 153 youth with a history of cancer and 101 youth without a history of serious illness (8-19 years). Children completed measures of connectedness, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and benefit-finding. Parents also reported on children's PTSS.

Results: Latent profile analysis revealed four profiles: high connectedness (45%), low connectedness (6%), connectedness primarily to parents (40%), and connectedness primarily to peers (9%). These profiles did not differ by history of cancer. However, profiles differed on PTSS and benefit-finding. Children highly connected across domains displayed the lowest PTSS and highest benefit-finding, while those with the lowest connectedness had the highest PTSS, with moderate PTSS and benefit-finding for the parent and peer profiles.

Conclusion: Children with cancer demonstrate patterns of connectedness similar to their healthy peers. Findings support connectedness as a possible mechanism facilitating resilience and growth.

Keywords: adjustment; cancer; children; connectedness; resilience.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Neoplasms / psychology*
  • Parents / psychology
  • Peer Group*
  • Resilience, Psychological*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / diagnosis
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology*
  • Young Adult