Brief report: adjustment to juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: a family systems perspective.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relations of the family environment to adjustment to juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), and to examine how those relations are influenced by child sex and age.

METHOD: Ninety-four children with JRA completed a questionnaire on family environment and adjustment.

RESULTS: Family cohesion was related to good adjustment, whereas family conflict was related to poor adjustment. Some relations of family cohesion to adjustment were stronger for younger than for older children. The relations of child autonomy to adjustment depended on child sex and age.

CONCLUSION: The relations of the family environment to adjustment to JRA are dependent on child sex and age.