Mastery and Internalizing Problems in Adolescents with a Chronic Illness: Does Type of Illness Matter?

Abstract

Having a chronic illness can drastically impact an individual’s day-to-day life and their mental health, especially during adolescence. This study explored the relationship between sense of control over life (mastery) and internalizing problems in Dutch adolescents aged 12-18 with a chronic illness. Additionally, it tested whether this relationship was moderated by type of chronic illness. Existing data was derived from the PROactive study at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital (WKZ). The sample consisted of 420 people, of which 64.6% were girls and 35.4% were boys. Their mean age was 15.1. Results of regression analyses showed that adolescents with higher levels of mastery did not experience fewer internalizing problems. Instead, higher levels of mastery were related to higher levels of internalizing problems. On the other hand, it was found that cystic fibrosis, child nephrology, autoimmune diseases, and general pediatrics moderated the relationship between mastery and internalizing problems. To establish the generalizability of the findings to the Dutch population, further (longitudinal) research is required to study a larger scope of chronic illnesses, including medically unexplained symptoms (MUS).