Date of Award

10-16-2023

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Grayson Holmbeck

Abstract

Parenting practices have been linked to psychosocial outcomes in children who have chronic health conditions that affect the central nervous system (CNS), such as spina bifida (SB). However, there remains a need for (1) more evidence-based assessments that capture parenting in SB, (2) additional research focused on parenting in early childhood in SB, as this is a critical developmental period that has been understudied, and (3) systematic reviews that synthesize parenting research across CNS-related conditions to guide future work. This dissertation includes three papers that aim to address each of these gaps in the current literature. Specifically, the first study developed and validated a novel measure of parental scaffolding for children with SB. The second study examined the parenting experiences and needs of families who have a young child with SB through dissemination of a national survey. The third study synthesized the parenting literature for children with five CNS-related chronic health conditions (i.e., SB, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and brain tumors). Results are discussed within the context of the Bio-Neuropsychosocial Model of Adjustment in Individuals with SB. These findings can guide the development of family-based interventions to improve the wellbeing of children with SB and their families.

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