Abstract
BackgroundMore and more pediatric patients reach adulthood. Some of them are successfully integrating in adult life, but many others are not. Possibly Illness cognitions (IC) - the way people give meaning to their illness/disability – may play a role in individual differences on long-term adjustment. This study explored the association of IC with disease–characteristics and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), anxiety and depression in young adults with a disability benefit due to childhood-onset chronic condition.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, young adults (22–31 years, N = 377) who claimed a disability benefit because of a somatic condition since childhood, completed the Illness Cognition Questionnaire (acceptance-helplessness-benefits), RAND-36 (HRQoL) and HADS (anxiety and depression) online. Besides descriptive statistics, linear regression analyses were conducted to predict (1) illness cognitions by age, gender and disease-characteristics, and (2) HRQoL (Mental and Physical Component Scale), Anxiety and Depression by illness cognitions, controlling for disease-characteristics, age and gender.ResultsRespectively 90.2%, 83.8% and 53.3% of the young adults with a disability benefit experienced feelings of acceptance, benefits and helplessness. Several disease-characteristics were associated with IC. More acceptance and less helplessness were associated with better mental (β = 0.31; β = −0.32) and physical (β = 0.16; β = −0.15) HRQoL and with less anxiety (β = −0.27; β = 0.28) and depression (β = −0.29; β = 0.31).ConclusionsIC of young adult beneficiaries were associated with their HRQoL and feelings of anxiety and depression. Early recognition of psychological distress and negative IC might be a key to the identification of pediatric patients at risk for long-term dysfunction. Identification of maladaptive illness cognitions enables the development of psychosocial interventions to optimise their well-being and adaptation to society.
Highlights
More and more pediatric patients reach adulthood
Procedures This study was conducted within the framework of a large cross-sectional study EMWAjong
To indicate the proportion of young adult beneficiaries who experienced at least some feelings of Acceptance, Helplessness and Benefits, the proportions of respondents with mean item scores ≥ 2 were studied
Summary
More and more pediatric patients reach adulthood. Some of them are successfully integrating in adult life, but many others are not. Due to improved treatment possibilities and the positive consequences for life expectancy, the number of chronically ill children who live for longer is increasing, and more pediatric patients with somatic conditions are living into adulthood [1,2]. For these children, transition without a disability [6,7,8] and that they are at risk of poor educational, vocational and social outcomes in adulthood [4,9,10,11]. In the Netherlands, young people who are partially or fully incapable of working, due to a childhood-onset chronic condition, may be eligible for a benefit under the scheme for young disabled persons: Wajong (the Invalidity Insurance Act for Young Disabled Persons). The level of benefit received under the terms of the Act depends on age and the amount someone can earn from a job; Wajong income support is a supplementary payment on top of what a young person with a chronic disease or handicap is able to earn from work
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