Children Of Patients With MS May Experience Emotional, Behavioural Problems
Children who have a parent with multiple sclerosis may be more likely to experience emotional and behaviours problems than do children whose parents do not have MS, recent trial findings show.
The study included 56 patients with MS, their spouses and one of their children aged 4 to 17 years. The comparison group consisted of 64 children and both parents. None of these parents reported any physical illness.
The investigators evaluated emotional and behavioural problems in all children, depression in the parents and family dysfunction.
The data demonstrated that children whose parents had MS showed greater emotional and behavioural problems than did children in the comparison group. This finding was particularly pronounced when the mother had MS.
Children's problems were associated with maternal depression and family dysfunction. For example, as maternal depression and family dysfunction increased, the children's emotional and behavioural problems also increased.
Family dysfunction predicted children's overall problems and externalizing behaviours such as temper tantrums, aggression and rule-breaking actions. The severity of the ill mother's impairment predicted the children's internalizing behaviours such as anxiety, appearing lonely, and acting sad or depressed.