Barbara Leonard in 1983 conducted a study of 77 healthy siblings of brothers and sisters with recently diagnosed chronic illnesses such as cancer, epilepsy, diabetes and cystic fibrosis. The research was carried out to find out the effect of their siblings' illnesses on their emotional, social, and psychological health. The materials used were the Symptom Checklist, Family Environment Scale, Child Behaviour Checklist and interviews constructed by Leonard herself. The subjects used were 49 families, which were in the large stable, middle-class, Caucasian and religious. They came from rural percent) and urban areas in the five-state region neighbouring Minnesota. The families were interviewed in their homes within one year of the diagnosis. Parents were interviewed jointly and children over the ages of four were interviewed in private. Of the 77 healthy siblings between the ages of four and 16 years of age, 17 meaning 23.6 percent of them exhibited behavioural problems as measured by the Child Behaviour Checklist. These children were in families which had other severe parental and marital troubles thought to occur after the ill child's diagnosis. This evidence shows that chronic illnesses in their siblings could lead to social problems for their siblings, which would be the result of psychological problems that the siblings would have.
There are also psychological consequences for the parents of the ill children.
Ellen Silver considered whether parents' self-reported psychological distress was a consequences of chronic health conditions in their children. Data from a telephone survey on children's health and parents' psychiatric symptoms from 380 inner-city neighbourhood subjects and 398 population based subjects was used. The health status inventory utilized was the questionnaire for identifying children with chronic illnesses, a household level survey made up of 39 items. The Psychiatric Symptom Index assessed the parents’ psychological distress. In the national test, parents of the children with functional restrictions were further distressed than parents whose children went through other kinds of illness consequences or none. In the inner-city test, the existence of a health illness was linked with an increase in parental distress.
Another researcher Susan Roos developed the notion of chronic sorrow which was primary used by Simon Olshansky to refer to the normal psychological response of parents subsequent to the diagnosis of their child's illness. Clinicians carry on confusing chronic sorrow with other kinds of grief and mourning, as well as with other disorders such as depression. In addition to parents of children who are severely impaired, it could also be found in other populations like in the parents and siblings of the children with harsh chronic illnesses, disabilities, mental disorders, etc. The most common crucial feature of chronic sorrow is that the object that is lost, carries on, so chronic sorrow refers to a existing loss which cannot be disconnected. This shows that chronic sorrow is also another consequence for the families of the ill children.
Further research by Margaret Stuber considers further consequences that chronic illness of a child can have on the patients and on their families.
Stuber in her publication considered the previous findings the long-term effects of serious chronic illness in children, with a stress on childhood cancer and transplantation of organs. The intensity of innovative treatments for chronic illnesses can be physically and psychologically distressing for the sufferers and their parents. Sufferers and their families can be left with long term medical and psychiatric problems. Psychiatric problems for a subgroup of sufferers could consist of anxiety, depression, or trauma. Causes of these problems may be the diagnosis, the treatment, or the consequences of the treatment. And unfortunately it is difficult to determine which is the one that affects them the most.
Having considered all of the negative consequences of the chronic illness of a child, it is important to remember that of late family studies have researched the role of social support, which explains why some people experience higher life stresses but do not display a high level of distress. More attention is given to social psychological factors, in particular social support and coping strategies, monitoring the effects of stress. The highly consistent findings give evidence of the importance perception plays in social support that is most strongly linked to health outcomes. In the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation by McCubbin and McCubbin in 1993, social support is seen as one of the chief mediators between psychological well-being and stress.
In conclusion although it is difficult for all involved when there is a child suffering from a chronic illness, there is now some support for these people and hopefully the support will increase in time so that there are not so many psychological consequences for the patients, the siblings or their parents.
References
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, , and , (2001). Repressive adaptation in children with cancer: A replication and extension. . 2001 Nov; Vol 20(6): 445-451.
- Leonard, Barbara, Jane, (1983). Psychosocial consequences on siblings of children with chronic illness. Dissertations and abstracts international, 44, no. 11B, 3360.
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