All in the Family

BACKGROUND: Congenital heart disease (CHD) can erode parental mental health and hamper adjustment in children with CHD; however, associations between family members are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test a model of associations of adjustment among family members of children with CHD. METHODS: Structural equation modeling was used to model 47 parent-sibling dyads. Parents completed measures of their mental health and patient adjustment (internalizing symptoms). Siblings self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. RESULTS: Parent mental health was associated with patient internalizing symptoms (P = .019) but not with depression (P = .793) or anxiety (P = .222) in siblings. Greater internalizing scores in patients were associated with more depression (P < .001) and anxiety (P = .042) in siblings. CONCLUSIONS: Our sample did not reveal expected associations between parental and sibling adjustment in families of children with CHD but did reveal that patient adjustment may play an important role. Family-centered care should include all members of the family and provide support as needed.