Parenting Stress and Child Behavioural Outcomes in Mothers of Children With Sickle Cell Disease in Enugu State

This study examines the relationship between parenting stress and behavioural outcomes of children living with sickle cell disease in Enugu State, South East Nigeria. Sickle cell disease is among the most prevalent childhood chronic illnesses in Nigeria, and caring for an affected child places considerable physical, emotional, and financial demands on caregivers. This research employed a cross-sectional correlational design involving 175 mother-child pairs, where children aged 5 to 12 years had a confirmed sickle cell disease diagnosis, recruited from the Sickle Cell Unit of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital. Parenting stress was assessed using the Parenting Stress Index, Third Edition, while child behavioural outcomes were evaluated using the Achenbach Child Behaviour Checklist. Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were applied. Results indicate a significant positive relationship between elevated maternal parenting stress and child internalising and externalising behaviour problems. Stress related to the parent-child dysfunctional interaction subscale was the strongest predictor of both behavioural problem dimensions. Children who experienced three or more hospital admissions in the preceding year showed higher externalising scores independent of parenting stress levels. Family social support significantly buffered the parenting stress-behaviour relationship. The study recommends that paediatric haematology units in Enugu State incorporate psychosocial support for mothers of children with sickle cell disease as a standard clinical service, targeting the parenting stress pathways identified in this research. Keywords: parenting stress, sickle cell disease, child behaviour, Enugu State, chronic illness.