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. 2021 Sep 9;16(1):384.
doi: 10.1186/s13023-021-01998-9.

Perceived mental health in parents of children with rare congenital surgical diseases: a double ABCX model considering gender

Johannes Boettcher #  1 , Holger Zapf #  2 , Mareike Fuerboeter  3 , Rojin Nazarian  3 , Konrad Reinshagen  3 , Silke Wiegand-Grefe #  2 , Michael Boettcher #  3
Affiliations

Perceived mental health in parents of children with rare congenital surgical diseases: a double ABCX model considering gender

Johannes Boettcher et al. Orphanet J Rare Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Previous research has supported the utility of the Double ABCX model of family adaptation for parents in various diseases. Nonetheless, it remains unclear how raising a child with rare congenital surgical diseases impacts the mental health of both mothers and fathers.

Methods: The potential predictors of maternal and paternal mental health in a German sample of 210 parents of children with rare congenital surgical diseases were investigated. Parents were investigated cross-sectionally utilizing standardized psychometric questionnaires that assessed factors attributed to parental adaptation within the Double ABCX model.

Results: Stressor pile-up, family functioning, perceived stress, and mental health were positively associated with mothers and fathers. However, further analyses revealed that family functioning, social support, and perceived stress fully mediated the positive association between stressor pile-up and mental health in mothers, but not fathers.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that parental adaptation to a rare congenital surgical disease in their children may be improved by increased intra- and extrafamilial resources and decreased perceived family-related stress in mothers, but not fathers. Our results may help to identify gender-specific factors that may guide clinicians and future interventions.

Keywords: Double ABCX model; Mental health; Parents; Pediatric surgery; Rare diseases.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Double ABCX model. Adapted from McCubbin & Patterson (1982)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Parallel mediation of mothers (Model A) and fathers (Model B) of children with rare congenital surgical diseases. Note. The Path a represents the effect of stressor pile-up on each mediator; Path b represents the combined effects of each mediator on parental mental health; the direct effect represents the effect of the stressor pile-up on parental mental health while keeping levels of the mediators constant; the indirect effect represents the combined effect of path a and path b and therefore the mediation. The total effect represents the combined indirect and direct effects. Significance inferences at the α = .05 for effects are based upon the notion of whether confidence intervals include zero. FAM: Family Assessment Measure; OSSS: Oslo Social Support Scale; IFS: Impact on Family Scale; BSI GSI: Brief Symptom Inventory Global Severity Index
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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