Moderating Effects of Family Structure on the Relationship Between Physical and Mental Health in Urban Children with Chronic Illness

Examined whether certain family structures modify the relationshipbetween psychological adjustment and severity of physical illness,as measured by an index of functional status, among childrenwith chronic illness. 352 families were divided into four types:two biological parents (n = 149), mother plus another adultrelative (n = 47), mother plus unrelated spouse or partner (n= 23), and mother alone (n = 133). Correlations between children'sfunctional status and adjustment were higher in the mother plusunrelated partner and mother alone families, and lower whenmother lived with either the biological father or another adultrelative. Children in the mother plus unrelated partner groupalso tended to have poorer overall adjustment than other children.Results are discussed in terms of family structure, childhoodillness and adjustment, and the possible mechanisms that interrelatethese variables.