Brief Report: Childrens Response to Serious Illness: Perceptions of Benefit and Burden in a Pediatric Cancer Population

ObjectiveTo examine a revised measure of benefit finding for children, in relation to perceptions of illness-related burden, and other measures of child psychological functioning.MethodsA sample of 78 children with cancer completed the newly revised Benefit/Burden Scale for Children (BBSC) and measures of optimism/pessimism, positive/negative affect, anxiety and defensiveness.ResultsFactor analysis of the BBSC revealed a clear two-factor solution, with benefit finding and illness-related burden representing orthogonal factors. Both scales were internally consistent and demonstrated different patterns of correlation with the other measures assessed in the study.ConclusionThe BBSC is internally reliable and preliminary data supports the validity of separate benefit and burden constructs. Children report positive and negative aspects of their illness simultaneously, and perceptions of benefit and burden function as independent constructs. The BBSC is a useful measure for pediatric cancer patients that could be applied to children experiencing other significant life events.