Psychological adjustment of adolescents with myelodysplasia

The psychosocial development of 20 adolescents with congenital paralysis due to myelodysplasia is compared to 20 age- and gender-matched subjects with no physical handicap. On many of the measures the myelodysplasia group showed poorer adjustment and lower self-esteem than the controls. Consistent with hypotheses regarding adjustment during adolescence the paralyzed males did show greater concern on Offer's scales of Body and Self-Image and External Mastery and showed poorer adjustment on his Sexual Attitudes Scale. The paralyzed girls, particularly those 13 years or younger, showed the poorest emotional adjustment with a significant variability in responses on many of the tests. This degree of variability may indicate a lack of integration of self-concepts and is consistent with an emotional immaturity discordant with advanced physiologic maturation of these girls.This study was supported in part by the National Foundation-March of Dimes.Received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1959. Main interests are adolescent development, personality, and evaluative research.Received her M.D. from the University of Rochester, New York, in 1953 and her pediatrics training at Children's Hospital, Los Angeles. Main interests are comprehensive care of patients with birth defects; research and management of hydrocephalus.Received her M.D. from McGill University in 1968 and her pediatric training at University of Washington, Seattle. Main interest is care of children with handicapping conditions, with emphasis on communication problems of the hearing impaired.