Psychological adjustment and sibling relationships of older brothers and sisters of children with pervasive developmental disorders

Abstract

The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the psychological adjustment (depression, self-concept, behavioural problems and social adjustment) of siblings of children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) and interactional processes (nature of sibling relationships, sibling caregiving and domestic work, and perceived differential parental treatment) among these children. Additionally, the effects of gender and age-spacing on these variables were studied. The 5>ubjects were 58 children (aged 7 - 16 years), half with and half without a younger sibling with PDD. The questionnaires were completed by the older siblings and their mothers. Children whose siblings had PDD scored significantly higher on depression and lower on self-concept than the comparison group. No differences were found among the two groups in tenus of maternal reports of behaviour problems and social adjustment of children. Siblings of children with PDD reported their relationships as being less warm and close, and more asymmetrical in nature than the relationships of nondisabled sibling pairs. No significant difference was found among the two groups in terms of the amount of conflict in sibling relationships. Whereas the sisters of children with PDD reported more caregiving work than the brothers and sisters of nondisabled children, brothers of children with PDD reported less domestic work than the siblings (of both gender) of normally developing children. Finally, the siblings of children with PDD perceived their mothers to be more affectionate toward their disabled sibling and more controlling toward themselves. No differences were found on children's reports of differential paternal treatment.