Family Functioning When a Child Has a Serious Illness: All for One and One for All

Abstract

A growing body of outcomes research has demonstrated that a child's serious illness can have longterm physical and mental health sequelae for both the child and his or her family. 1 These findings

The Psychological Experience of Grandparents: Proposal of a Qualitative Clinical Assessment Tool in Pediatric Palliative Care

“…However, and from a systemic perspective, it is essential to look at the family as a whole and at each of its elements, as well as at the relationships they build with each other [ 10 ]. National and international studies have commented on the significant impact that a life-limiting condition has on the whole family system, contributing to changes in its relational dynamics, communication processes and structure [ 11 ]. Feudtner and colleagues [ 12 ] also concluded that, in families of children who were born substantially preterm or with critical congenital heart conditions, or who developed cancer or had progressive neurological conditions, the parents and siblings were 55% to 70% more likely to resort to healthcare and to receive diagnoses and prescriptions when compared to families with healthy children.…”

“I’m Afraid If This Goes Wrong… What Will Become of Me?”: The Psychological Experience of Grandparents in Pediatric Palliative Care

“…The literature is consensual regarding the impact of a child's potentially fatal illness on the whole family process, structure and dynamics [7,8]. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the psychological experience of the illness at all levels of the family subsystem, namely the parental caregivers, the healthy siblings and the grandparents [9].…”