Examined 42 mothers of children with juvenile rheumatic disease (JRD) to assess the relationship of risk and resistance factors to level of psychological adjustment. Dimensions of maternal adjustment, disease severity, stress, and social support were assessed. As a group, mothers evidenced significant levels of general psychological distress, and appear to constitute an at-risk population. Multiple regression analyses indicated higher levels of maternal distress were associated with increased levels of daily hassles and illness-related stress. Disease severity and social support did not contribute significantly to the model; however, disease severity was shown to be indirectly related to maternal adjustment through a relationship with psychosocial stress variables.</p
