Parent and Well-Sibling Communication in Families With a Child Who Has a Life-Limiting Condition: Quantitative Survey Data

Tiina Jaaniste; Wei Ling Audrey Chin; Sarah Caellainn Tan; Anjali Cuganesan; Sandra Coombs; Maria Heaton; Sue Cowan; Denise Potter; Phillip Aouad; Philippa Louise Smith; Susan Trethewie

doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsab128

Parent and Well-Sibling Communication in Families With a Child Who Has a Life-Limiting Condition: Quantitative Survey Data

J Pediatr Psychol. 2022 May 13;47(5):606-616. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsab128.

Authors

Tiina Jaaniste^{1

2}, Wei Ling Audrey Chin^{1

2}, Sarah Caellainn Tan^{1

2}, Anjali Cuganesan^{1

2}, Sandra Coombs¹, Maria Heaton¹, Sue Cowan^{1

3}, Denise Potter⁴, Phillip Aouad^{1

2}, Philippa Louise Smith³, Susan Trethewie^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Palliative Care, Sydney Children's Hospital, Australia.
² School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Australia.
³ Bear Cottage, Australia.
⁴ Department of Palliative Care, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia.

PMID: 35552431
DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsab128

Abstract

Objective: Living with a child with a life-limiting condition (LLC), for which there is no hope of cure and premature death is expected, places much stress on a family unit. Familial communication has the potential to serve as a buffer when children are faced with stressful situations. The overall aim of the study was to learn more about illness-related communication between parents and well-siblings, giving particular consideration to the amount of illness-related communication, and sibling satisfaction with familial communication.

Methods: Participants included 48 well-siblings (aged 6-21 years) of children with LLCs and their parents. Parents and well-siblings independently completed validated measures of familial communication and sibling functioning. Parents also provided demographic information and completed a questionnaire assessing amount of illness-related information provided to well-siblings.

Results: Parents reported that 47.8% of well-siblings never or rarely initiated conversations about their sibling's illness. Moreover, 52.2% of well-siblings never or rarely spoke about death. Amount of illness-related communication between parents and well-siblings was most strongly predicted by parental resilience and well-sibling age. Parents engaged in significantly more illness-related communication with girls than boys (t(44)=-2.28, p = .028). Well-siblings (p < .01) and parents (p < .05) rated satisfaction with familial communication significantly higher than published norms. The only significant predictor of well-sibling satisfaction with familial communication was greater familial cohesion. Family communication variables were not significantly correlated with measures of sibling functioning (all p's>.05).

Conclusions: This study provides new information regarding parent and well-sibling communication in families who have a child with a LLC.

Keywords: communication; life-limiting condition; parent; sibling.

MeSH terms

Child
Communication
Family
Female
Humans
Male
Parents*
Siblings*
Surveys and Questionnaires