Trajectories of Family Processes across the Adolescent Transition in Youth with Spina Bifida

<p> The current study investigated change in family processes, including con&fllig;ict, cohesion, and stress, across the adolescent transition, comparing the developmental trajectories of youth with and without spina bi&filig;da. Individual growth curve modeling procedures were utilized to describe the developmental course of family processes across 4 waves of data collection, from ages 9 to 15 years, and to test whether illness status (spina bi&filig;da vs. matched comparison group [N=68 for both groups at Time 1]) would signi&filig;cantly predict individual variability in family processes. Potential moderators (child gender, socioeconomic status [SES], and child verbal ability) of the association between illness status and family functioning were also examined. Differences were found between the trajectories of family processes for families of youth with and without spina bi&filig;da. For families of youth with spina bi&filig;da, changes in family con&fllig;ict and cohesion may be less dramatic than or inconsistent with what is expected during typical adolescence. Families of youth with spina bi&filig;da from low SES homes appear to demonstrate resilience in terms of family stress.</p>