PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to describe the relationships between resilience, coping and adjustment to illness and to identify the effect of resilience on adjustment in children with chronic illness.
METHOD
The participants in this study were 71 children who were seen at one of 3 hospitals, either in outpatient clinics or as admitted patients. Instruments used in this study were self-reported questionnaires. The data were collected from March to October, 2005 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test or ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression.
RESULT
Adjustment to illness was significantly different according to sex and birth rank. There was a significant correlation between resilience, coping and adjustment to illness. Resilience was a predictor of adjustment to illness and accounted for 28% of the variance.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that programs and strategies that enhance resilience by promoting social competence and support-seeking skills and by fostering self-esteem and coping should be developed for children with chronic illness.
