Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2999-01-01

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An exploratory study of 50 pre-school children was carried out in an attempt to assess the influence on sibling rivalry of maternal attitudes, family composition and the child's perceptions of family relations. Maternal attitudes and the child's attitude towards parents were not related to sibling rivalry. Rivalry was significantly higher following displacement and at the closer spacings. The results were interpreted in terms of an interactional analysis of sibling rivalry.

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to obtain information from adolescent siblings of children with Down syndrome (CWDS) regarding their perceptions of living with a child who has Down syndrome (DS). Twenty-three adolescents between 12 and 19 years of age who lived with a child who had DS and additional health problems including cardiac, endocrine, gastrointestinal, hematological, neurological, and behavioral conditions were interviewed individually. After examining the tape recorded interviews, major themes revealed both positive and negative aspects of living with a child with DS who has major health problems. However, overall the adolescents reflected more positive experiences than negative experiences. In addition, most adolescents interviewed said they would not change anything about their experience. One interesting finding was that most participants did not believe the child with DS would ever live independently, perhaps because of the additional health problems these CWDS have. Information gained from this study provides information for nurses and families to help better understand adolescent sibling perceptions about living with a CWDS so more appropriate and individualized nursing interventions can be provided for siblings and their families. This information can assist nurses in supporting similar families gain better coping skills, learn more about the impact of DS on families, and provide information on stress management and nursing interventions to support family growth and development especially for adolescents who have the added responsibility of caring for and living with a CWDS.

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Siblings are an integral part of the support network for adults with a developmental disability (DD). However, little is known about the psychological stress of having a sibling with a DD in adulthood. This project had four main objectives: (1) to identify variables that predict and moderate psychological well-being and depressive symptoms in adults who have a sibling with a DD; (2) to examine differences in sibling relationship characteristics, psychological well-being, depressive symptoms, and support use in siblings of individuals with a DD alone versus siblings of individuals with a DD and symptoms of a mental illness; (3) to determine whether relationships with siblings with a DD differ from relationships with siblings without a DD; and (4) to explore the perspectives of adults with a DD regarding their sibling relationships and how these relationships affect their well-being. One-hundred ninety six adult siblings of individuals with a DD completed online questionnaires about life events, relationship closeness, sibling contact, impact of having a sibling with a DD, family functioning, use of supports, symptoms of depression, and psychological well-being. Life events and having a sibling with a DD and behavioural or psychiatric symptoms predicted symptoms of depression and psychological well-being. However, the relationship between these predictor variables and psychological well-being was moderated by general family functioning. Additionally, siblings of individuals with a DD and behavioural or psychiatric symptoms reported less positive feelings about their sibling relationship, more symptoms of depression, and lower psychological well-being than siblings of individuals with a DD alone. A subset of the participants (n = 128) who also had a sibling without a DD completed questionnaires about their relationship closeness, sibling contact, and perceived impact of their sibling without a DD. Participants reported more in-person and telephone contact with siblings with a DD, more positive feelings about the sibling relationship, and greater perceived life impact as compared to their relationship with their sibling without a DD. Seventeen adults with a DD also completed in-person interviews and answered questions about their sibling relationship closeness, shared activities, and support exchanged with siblings. Participants identified numerous activities they enjoyed doing with siblings and indicated a desire to spend more time with siblings. They also reported that they both provided support to and received support from their siblings. / Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-07 23:47:06.32

Research shows that raising a child with ASD makes considerable demands on family resources, yet the experiences of neuro typically developing (NTD) siblings of children and young people with ASD remain relatively unexplored. The findings of quantitative research are mixed and inconclusive and little is known about the processes that mediate and moderate the experience of living with a sibling with ASD (Hodapp et al., 2005; Meadan et al., 2010; Petalas et al., 2009). Further descriptive and exploratory research is indicated with participants of different groups to illuminate the multi-factorial nature of the phenomenon and help understand the apparent differences in individual experiences and outcomes. This study uses semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to explore the self-reported experiences and perceptions of eight neuro-typically developing sisters, aged 10-19, who are also the sole NTD siblings in their families. Their parents were also interviewed to provide contextual information and to ascertain their views on the sibling experience. In addition to looking at their family life and sibling relationships, this study also explores school life and peer group relationships. Analysis suggests eight themes of sibling experience: Continuum of Perceived Challenge: Positively and negatively perceived aspects of having a sibling with ASD. Continuum of Acceptance; Coping and Resilience; Continuum of Relatability; Continuum of Positive Identity; Social world: Threats and Friends; Social Carer; Support. NTD sisters adopt a social caring role towards their sibling with ASD, that is different to that fulfilled by parents and transcends home and school boundaries. NTD sisters can be negatively affected by tension between home and school regarding provision for the child with ASD. Reconciling social persona with loyalty to one's sibling, developing a mutually satisfying sibling relationship and findings strengths and positive meaning in one's experiences, are associated with positive adjustment. Mother-daughter relationship and family beliefs and values are highly influential in the psycho-emotional adjustment of NTD sisters. Implications for the practice of applied psychologists and school-based professionals, in response to these findings, are explored and areas for further research are suggested.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are shaped and in turn shape the people in their environment especially those closest to them, their parents and their siblings. When the sibling relationships between children with ASD and their typically developing siblings are considered, challenges and opportunities present themselves for both siblings. This study assessed the effectiveness of a sibling intervention that aimed to meet the needs of both siblings involved. It was initially hypothesised that teaching the typically developing children responsive strategy use would enhance their interactions between the children leading to increases in the quality of the sibling relationship and in the well-being of both siblings. In addition, the typically developing children were given developmentally appropriate information on their sibling’s difficulties, information on emotions, and the opportunity to play mutually enjoyable games with their sibling with ASD to enhance their motivation to persist in attempts at interacting with their sibling with ASD. Initial findings suggested that the planned intervention was not necessarily benefitting the typically developing children. The focus of the intervention changed to include a more explicit focus on the influence of the intervention on the typically developing children. Changes were made, by de-emphasising the strategy component and emphasising the other components, to enable both siblings to benefit from the intervention. Findings indicated that the typically developing children had existing skills for interacting with their siblings with ASD. Increases in the quality of the sibling interactions and the well-being of both children seemed to be most strongly related to aspects of the intervention that increased the warmth of the children’s feelings towards each other and the typically developing children’s understanding and tolerance of their sibling with ASD. Overall, the findings from this project emphasised the importance of supporting family members of children with ASD for the benefit of both the family members and the benefit of the children with ASD.

The current study examined children’s experiences of sibling relationships following parental separation. Areas investigated included the nature of sibling relationships in separated families, how siblings provide care and support to each other, and how they view sibling relationships in general. To obtain a holistic, context-sensitive understanding of sibling relationships, the study involved a multimethod, multi-source, case study approach that included interviews, sentence completion items, drawings, and vignettes. Three families participated in approximately five to six sessions each. Children and parents participated in individual sessions, and the children participated in one session with their siblings. Through cross-case, qualitative analyses, several salient themes relevant to sibling relationships in separated families were identified. Such themes include the importance of context in understanding sibling relationships (e.g., developmental phase of sibling relationship, custody arrangements, co-parenting relationship); the role of negotiating time with each parent; the impact of physical context; how shared experiences might shape sibling relationships in separated families; and the indirect ways in which siblings support each other. Relevant research and clinical implications when working with children are discussed. / Graduate / 0622 / 0620

To understand why some SCC experience psychological distress while others do not, researchers have turned their attention to potential protective factors that may influence the ability of SCC to cope with the cancer experience. Provision of protective/buffering factors specifically to less-resilient siblings (defined as those with higher initial depression and anxiety symptom scores) in the form of a structured program has not been previously attempted. The objective of this study was to explore outcomes of a specialized 8 week, intervention program for SCC. SCC and one parent completed standardized questionnaires exploring symptoms of depression and anxiety pre and post intervention. Results showed that the gender of the SCC, and the specific diagnosis of the child with cancer were factors significantly associated with the degree of reported symptoms of anxiety and depression respectively. Looking at significant interactions, we found that girls whose siblings had brain tumours improved less than other subgroups