Benefit Finding Scale for Children: Preliminary Findings from a Childhood Cancer Population

• Published in: Journal of pediatric psychology Vol. 32; no. 10; pp. 1264 - 1271
• Main Authors: Phipps, Sean, Long, Alanna M., Ogden, Johanna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Atlanta, GA Oxford University Press 01-11-2007
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; benefit finding; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child clinical studies; childhood cancer; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Neoplasms - psychology; optimism; Personality; post-traumatic growth; post-traumatic stress; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Psychological Tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quality of Life; Reproducibility of Results; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; United States; United States; post-traumatic growth; childhood cancer; post-traumatic stress; optimism; benefit finding; Human; Post-traumatic growth; Anxiety disorder; Psychometrics; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Malignant tumor; Optimism pessimism; Child; Cancer
• ISSN: 0146-8693; 1465-735X
• DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsl052

Objective To describe the development of a brief measure of benefit finding for children. Data regarding the psychometrics and validity of the instrument were examined in a sample of children with cancer. Methods A cross-sectional sample of children with cancer (N = 199, ages 7–18 years) completed the Benefit Finding Scale for Children (BFSC) along with measures of adaptive style, optimism/pessimism, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and health-related quality of life. Results The BFSC was found to be a unidimensional measure with excellent internal reliability. Benefit finding was not related to age or gender, but differed as a function of race/ethnicity. No differences were found by diagnostic category, but a significant relationship was found with age at diagnosis and time elapsed since diagnosis. Small, but significant positive correlations were found with measures of optimism and self-esteem, and a negative correlation with anxiety. No relation was found between benefit finding and post-traumatic stress symtpoms or other domains of health-related quality of life. Conclusion The BFSC shows promise as a measure of benefit finding in children. The measure could be readily adapted for other populations of children experiencing trauma.