Psychological Adjustment of Children and Adolescents with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome and Their Mothers’ Stress and Coping—A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

At present, there is a lack of longitudinal studies on the psychological adjustment of both children and adolescents with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) and their primary caregivers. To fill this gap, we performed a four-year follow-up study. Mothers filled out the Child Behavior Checklist 4–18, the Social Orientation of Parents with Handicapped Children questionnaire to assess maternal stress and coping strategies, and the Freiburger Personality Inventory-Revised—subscales strain and life satisfaction. Fifty-five subjects with 22q11.2DS (26 males and 29 females; age: M = 10.79 years, SD = 3.56 years) and their biological mothers (age: M = 40.84 years, SD = 4.68 years) were included in this study. Significantly higher levels of behavior problems than in the general population and an increase in these problems, especially internalizing ones, over time could be found. In contrast, maternal stress did not change significantly over time, but mothers demonstrated increased levels of strain and reduced life satisfaction at T2. Thus, careful monitoring as well as early and adequate interventions, if indicated, should be offered to families with a child with 22q11.2DS, not only for somatic complaints but also for problems with psychological adjustment.