Parents’ attitudes towards a difficult situation resulting from the chronic disease of their child

Abstract

Parents' attitudes towards a difficult situation resulting from a chronic disease of a child. Ann Agric Environ Med.Abstract Introduction and objective. The family is a reliable and permanent source of support for every human being. It is the key link in the welfare system. The aim of the study is to assess parents' attitudes towards the occurrence of a difficult situation resulting from a child's chronic illness. Material and methods. The study involved randomly selected parents of children with chronic diseases (N=107). The study was carried out at the Dental Clinic of the 'Little Prince' Children's Hospice in Lublin Results. The study revealed that for parents a difficult life situation is mainly associated with the disability of a family member or a friend, whereas the action approach is the most frequently chosen attitude towards a child's chronic disease.In the examined group of parents, a significant correlation was observed between the age of the parents and the choice of a specific parental attitude towards the child's chronic disease (in terms of intellectual approach). However, no significant correlations were found between the parents' place of residence and the choice of a specific parental attitude towards the chronic disease of a child. Conclusions. During the diagnosis of chronically ill children, parents should also be educated in this regard. Therapy and psychological help, as well as directing parents to relevant support groups, organizations or associations, will prove immensely valuable while coping with a difficult life situation.

Chronic Diseases in Children as a Challenge for Parenting

“…Studies need large sample sizes and prolonged observation periods to detect events that may be uncommon, such as premature mortality. However, the observed results pertaining to mental health may be associated with chronic stress, which itself has been found to be associated with poorer physical health outcomes, including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, immune, and neurologic health issues [Guz E, et al. 2020].…”

“…The 5% with severe conditions account for 19% of physician contacts and 33% of hospital days related to chronic Once the diagnosis of disorder is made, parents may react with shock, denial, anger, sadness or depression, guilt, and anxiety. In a study by Guz E. et al in 2020 [9], the following reaction stages in parents are thus: shock, waiting, mourning, defence, proper behaviour, defensive behaviour (neurotic reaction), adaptation, intellectual and emotional adaptation. These reactions may occur at any time in the child's development, and each parent may be at a different stage of acceptance, making communication between them difficult.…”

Families’ situation of caring for a child with a chronic condition: a mixed methods study

“…It is recognized that the family as a whole and its individual members need to adapt to the context of the child’s chronicity. This adaptation is influenced by aspects related to the complexity and severity of the child’s health condition, the social support received during the course of care ( 6 ) and access to resources, such as support from health system professionals ( 7 ) . In addition, the family’s assessment of the child’s care situation and their ability to manage it can also change their adaptation to the care situation over time and consequently family functioning ( 8 , 9 ) .…”

Situação de cuidar de uma criança com condição crônica pelas famílias: estudo de métodos mistos

“…Reconhece-se que a família como um todo e seus membros, individualmente, precisam se adaptar ao contexto de cronicidade da criança. Esta adaptação é influenciada por aspectos relacionados à complexidade e gravidade da condição de saúde da criança, ao apoio social recebido no curso do cuidado (6) e ao acesso a recursos, como o suporte dos profissionais do sistema de saúde (7) . Além disso, a avaliação que a família faz sobre a situação de cuidar da criança e a sua capacidade de manejá-la, também pode modificar a sua adaptação à situação de cuidar ao longo do tempo e consequentemente o funcionamento familiar (8,9) .…”