Psychosocial Functioning for Preschool-Aged Siblings of Children With Chronic Disorders: A Scoping Review.
Caitlin M Prentice, Krister Fjermestad, Yngvild Bjartveit Haukeland and 1 others
PMID 39967342WHAT IT FOUND
Evidence on preschool siblings of children with chronic disorders is sparse and mostly focuses on autism risk.
Most studies report higher psychosocial difficulties, but results are inconsistent and cannot separate the sibling experience from shared genetic risk.
Key findings
01Most included studies examined siblings of autistic children to predict autism development, rather than the psychosocial impact of being a sibling.
02Preschool siblings of children with various chronic disorders showed raised risks for emotional, conduct and hyperactivity problems compared to peers.
03Only two intervention studies were identified, involving four preschool-aged children in total, so no conclusions can be drawn about their effectiveness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The review is heavily skewed towards autism; 12 of 18 studies focused on predicting autism in siblings, limiting generalisability to other chronic disorders. It is unclear whether observed psychosocial difficulties in siblings are due to the stress of having a sibling with a disorder or shared genetic liability for the condition. Included studies did not formally assess quality, and many lacked basic demographic data like socio-economic status or birth order. The strict age range of 3 to 6 years meant potentially relevant studies of younger or older siblings were excluded. Intervention evidence is negligible, with only two studies involving four preschool-aged children in total.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that psychosocial difficulties in preschool siblings are caused by the stress of having a sibling with a chronic disorder. The evidence cannot separate these environmental effects from shared genetic risks, particularly in studies of siblings of autistic children.