Abstract
As part of an investigation of the needs of boys with hemophilia, we compared their behaviors and social competencies with those of an unaffected control group. The parents of 10 younger (8-11 years) and 20 older (12-21 years) boys with factor VIII deficiency and 30 whose sons were of corresponding ages and SES but were without significant medical problems were administered the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The t Test for Independent Samples was used to make comparisons between groups. Results showed younger boys with hemophilia were rated as exhibiting more depression (p<.05), uncommunicative behavior (p<.02), social withdrawal (p<.01), and aggressivity (p<.007) than did their unaffected counterparts. Older hemophilic boys were rated as experiencing more somatic complaints (p<02), uncommunicativeness (p<.007), immaturity (p<.04), delinquent-like behavior (p<.05), aggressivity (p<.003), hyperactivity (p<.025), overall behavioral difficulties (p<.002), and greater externalizing (p<.003) and internalizing (p<.01) symptom clusters than controls. Comparisons of CBCL scores between younger and older hemophilic boys revealed greater social withdrawal in the older group (t=2.79;p<.009). Such findings suggest the predominant difficulties of younger hemophilic boys were lower social interaction along with associated dysphoric symptoms;whereas older boys manifested increased behavioral difficulties which corresponded with reduced social competency. Our results have important implications for the types and intensity of support services which should be made available to families of children and adolescents with hemophilia.
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Woolf, A., D'Angelo, E., Bassette, J. et al. BEHAVIORAL FUNCTIONING AND SOCIAL COMPETENCY AMONG HEMOPHILIC ADOLESCENTS. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 185 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00114
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00114