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Individual and Family Contributions to Depressive Symptoms in African American Children with Sickle Cell Disease

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Abstract

Depressive disorders in children with chronic illnesses have received little attention despite some evidence suggesting that these children experience increased psychological difficulties as a result of their medical condition. Most of the research on depressive disorders among children has been conducted primarily with Caucasian youth, limiting generalizability to ethnically diverse populations. Further, even less research exists on depressive disorders among African American children with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and for African American youth from lower socioeconomic status who are at greater risk for depressive disorders. This paper is an extensive review of the major studies conducted on depression and psychosocial aspects of SCD in African American children. The Transactional Stress and Coping model is provided as a conceptual framework. Following the review, clinical and research implications are provided, as well as an illustration of a psychoeducational family intervention with an African American child who has SCD and internalizing behaviors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Counseling and Psychological Services, Georgia State University, 30 Pryor Street SE, Suite 950, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA

    Karia Kelch-Oliver

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Chaundrissa Oyeshiku Smith & Marietta H. Collins

  3. Private Practice, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Dayna Diaz

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  1. Karia Kelch-Oliver
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  2. Chaundrissa Oyeshiku Smith
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  3. Dayna Diaz
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Correspondence to Karia Kelch-Oliver.

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Kelch-Oliver, K., Smith, C.O., Diaz, D. et al. Individual and Family Contributions to Depressive Symptoms in African American Children with Sickle Cell Disease. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 14, 376–384 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-007-9085-4

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