An expanded Transactional Stress and Coping Model for siblings of children with sickle cell disease: family functioning and sibling coping, self-efficacy and perceived social support.

AIM: To investigate the application of an expanded Transactional Stress and Coping Model for the psychological adjustment of non-chronically ill, African-American siblings of children with sickle cell disease (SCD). METHODS: Ninety-seven siblings (M = 11.24 years) from 65 families who care for a child with SCD participated. Primary caregivers completed the Coping Health Inventory for Parents, the Family Relations Scale and the Child Behaviour Checklist, while siblings completed the Kidcope, the Children's Self-Efficacy for Peer Interaction Scale, and the Social Support Scale for Children. RESULTS: Family processes were predictive of sibling adjustment, revealing that family coping, expressiveness and support improved adjustment, while family conflict predicted poor adjustment. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that family-centered interventions stressing family expressiveness and support, while minimizing conflict, will contribute to sibling psychological adjustment.