Abstract
Previous literature has demonstrated the separate contributions of parental attributions and adolescent attributions to psychosocial
adjustment of adolescents with chronic illness. However, it is unknown whether parental attributions affect adolescents’ mental
health directly or indirectly by influencing the youths’ attributional style. This study evaluated the direct and indirect
(through adolescent attributions) effects of parental attributions on internalizing and externalizing problems of adolescents
with chronic illness. Adolescents (N = 128; M = 14.7 years) diagnosed with cystic fibrosis or diabetes and their caregivers completed measures of attributional style and
adolescent adjustment. Parents’ optimistic attributions were associated with fewer adolescent internalizing and externalizing
problems. These effects were partly mediated by adolescent attributions. These results suggest that targeting both adolescent
and parent attributions may be important for improving adolescents’ adjustment to a chronic illness.
adjustment of adolescents with chronic illness. However, it is unknown whether parental attributions affect adolescents’ mental
health directly or indirectly by influencing the youths’ attributional style. This study evaluated the direct and indirect
(through adolescent attributions) effects of parental attributions on internalizing and externalizing problems of adolescents
with chronic illness. Adolescents (N = 128; M = 14.7 years) diagnosed with cystic fibrosis or diabetes and their caregivers completed measures of attributional style and
adolescent adjustment. Parents’ optimistic attributions were associated with fewer adolescent internalizing and externalizing
problems. These effects were partly mediated by adolescent attributions. These results suggest that targeting both adolescent
and parent attributions may be important for improving adolescents’ adjustment to a chronic illness.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-8
- DOI 10.1007/s10880-011-9288-6
- Authors
- Kimberly Guion, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, USA
- Sylvie Mrug, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1530 3rd Avenue South, CH415, Birmingham, AL 35294-1700, USA
- Journal Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings
- Online ISSN 1573-3572
- Print ISSN 1068-9583