The Role of Coping Strategies in the Association Between Caregiving Complexity and Quality of Life Among Caregivers of Children with Inherited Metabolic Diseases

Abstract

We investigated the association of coping with quality of life (QoL) among parents of children with chronic illnesses, particularly inherited metabolic diseases (IMD); and whether coping may modify the association between caregiving complexity and parental QoL. In project 1, we systematically reviewed studies of parents of children with chronic illness. Among 10 eligible studies, we identified some evidence that adaptive coping strategies were positively associated with parental psychological QoL. In project 2, we analyzed data from a crosssectional mailed Canadian survey of parents of children <12 years of age with IMD. Among 113 respondents, greater emotion-focused coping was associated with lower mental QoL (all parents) and higher depressive symptoms (parents of children >=5 years). Analysis of significant interactions between coping and caregiving complexity did not reveal clear trends. Understanding the association of parental coping with QoL may help to inform interventions to promote parental health as part of family-centred care.