Psychological Adjustment of Seriously Ill Children

Twenty-three boys and girls with cancer, ages 5-10, were matched with a comparison group of healthy children. They were administered measures of cognitive development, adjustment, and humor. Few differences were found between ill and well children across a broad array of measures. Ill children were found to have lower scores on two measures of cognition, and more frequently rated a cartoon funny when they did not understand the joke. The generally comparable performances of ill and well children were interpreted as a manifestation of healthy denial among the ill group. Age and health group interactions offered evidence of the effects of age as a moderating variable in the relationship between a stressor and its impact.