Family Resources and Parental Health in Families of Children With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Background: This study was based on two models, namely,the resiliency model of family stress, adjustment, and adaptation and themodel for family stressors, resources, and function.Family resources, such as family hardiness and support, have previously been shown to improve family adaptation. There is little evidence for the potential buffering effects of family resources on parental health in families of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).Purpose: This article reports on relationships among family support, family hardiness, severity of child disability, and parental perceptions of child health status variables and their influence on parental health in families of children with DMD in Taiwan.Methods: A total of 126 parents, all with children suffering fromDMD,were recruited for this study. Associations between child health status, age at diagnosis, demographics, and family resource variables were examined using Pearson linear correlation,linear regression, and causal modeling.Results: Parental emp