The role of functional disability and social support in psychological outcomes for individuals with pediatric hypermobile ehlers-danlos syndrome.

This study investigates the link between functional disability, social support, and mental health outcomes in children with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), focusing on anxiety and depression. The research finds that both increased functional disability and the level of social support independently correlate with mental health outcomes—specifically, increased disability is tied to worse mental health, while greater social support is associated with better mental health. Surprisingly, social support did not moderate the effect of functional disability on mental health. The study underscores the importance of addressing both functional disability and social support in clinical settings to support the well-being of children with hEDS. Additionally, gender differences in mental health were explored, pointing to potential areas for future research.