This cross-sectional mediation study examined whether parental emotional state (stress and well-being) mediates the link between child disease burden (fatigue, processing speed, EDSS severity) and self-esteem in 30 children and adolescents with POMS (ages 10–18) and their parents.
All 30 children scored in the low self-esteem range (RSES mean = 15.93). Parental stress mediated the association between self-esteem and all three disease factors (fatigue: 95% CI [.002, .059]; processing speed: 95% CI [.080, 1.382]; EDSS: 95% CI [−1.041, −.044]). Parental well-being mediated only the processing speed–self-esteem link (95% CI [.076, 1.348]). 43% of parents met cutoffs for stress and low well-being.
- Very small sample (n=30) limits generalizability and statistical power for mediation analyses. - Cross-sectional design prevents causal inference. - No control group of healthy children or children with other chronic illnesses for comparison.
Screen and support parents of children with POMS for stress and low well-being, as parental distress is a key pathway to poor child self-esteem. Family-centered interventions that target parental emotional state may improve psychological resilience in youth with POMS.
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