Psychosocial factors and chronic illness in childhood

Abstract

Chronic illness in a child requires successful organisational and emotional adjustment of the child and the family. The way in which the child and the family adapt to the illness will affect their psychological well-being and their quality of life. This review summarizes recent research findings on the relationship between illness factors, individual and family functioning, coping strategies and psychosocial adjustment. The findings are presented within the framework of three complementary theoretical models: the family developmental approach; the psychosocial typology of illnesses; and the process model of stress and coping. These models are useful for a better understanding of the complex interactions between illness, family and coping and offer to the professionals engaged in the care of chronically sick children, guidelines for assessment and the development of intervention programs. The review starts with examining the impact of chronic illness on the psychosocial adjustment of the sick child, his/her siblings and parents. Then psychosocial Stressors and risk factors in terms of illness and family related characteristics are discussed. Coping resources and strategies are presented which have been shown to be related to child and parental adjustment; and finally, successful intervention programs are described.

Parental perceptions of child vulnerability in a community-based sample

“…An increasing number of children and adolescents are affected by chronic health conditions (Perrin and Shonkoff, 2000; Perrin et al, 2007; Wise, 2009). Growing up with a chronic illness can affect children’s physical, social and emotional well-being and parent’s psychosocial adjustment (Cousino and Hazen, 2013; Hatzmann et al, 2008; Kazak et al, 2006; Zimmermann Tansella, 1995). The way in which parents perceive the health of their child has been found to affect children’s adjustment to illness.…”

Health, well-being & coping? What's that got to do with education?

“…The fact that some children are more motivated than others is determined by situational factors, personality factors and individual determinants based on family, school and peer experiences . Similarly it is possible to accommodate self-efficacy as a multidimensional phenomenon, for example as general self-efficacy and selfefficacy in relationship to school based tasks as a person variable (Zimmermann 1995;Bandura, 1982Bandura, ,1991. Similarly the conservation of resources theory can be partially accommodated in the coping intentions of the individual.…”