Initial validation of a new psychosocial screener for siblings of youth with cancer: The Psychosocial Assessment Tool Sibling Modules.

Abstract

Psychosocial screening can facilitate the identification of families who have difficulty adjusting to and managing serious pediatric illness. Despite siblings' roles within the family and increased psychosocial risk, a systematic approach to screening siblings of youth with cancer remains rare. One barrier to systematic sibling screening is the lack of a validated screener. We aimed to establish initial validity of the new parent-reported Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT) Sibling Modules for siblings ages 0-2, 3-4, 5-9, and 10+. Families (N=64) completed the PAT Sibling Modules and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) regarding siblings' functioning at cancer diagnosis (13-23 items, depending on age version) and 6months later (17-42 items). Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses examined internal consistency and convergent and predictive validity of the PAT Sibling Modules. Baseline and follow-up versions of the modules have strong internal consistency (Kuder-Richardson 20 range: 0.82-0.93) and convergent validity at diagnosis (r-values ≥0.4, p-values <0.01) and follow-up (r-values >0.4, p-values <0.05). Predictive validity was supported by significant correlations between baseline PAT Sibling Module scores and 6 month SDQ scores (r=0.86, p<0.001). Findings provide initial evidence that the PAT Sibling Modules are valid measures of sibling psychosocial risk. Availability of a validated screener is a first step toward addressing siblings' unmet psychosocial needs.