ABSTRACT
Children's reactions to medical trauma have been recorded through play. In this study, participants were 15 children with medical illnesses, 14 siblings of children with a medical illness, and 6 children in the community who did not have any ill family members. Children participated in play groups and their play with medical toys was videotaped and coded for themes that would provide a window on their perspectives. The play of children with medical illnesses and siblings was similar. Medical play was a mechanism for imaginal coping and working through stress related to medical experiences. In contrast, children in the comparison group did not engage in much medical play and when they did, they did not demonstrate a rich play experience with detailed medical stories. Future research should focus on ways to use play therapy techniques to help medically ill children and their siblings cope with their feelings and reactions to medical events related to chronic illness.
Subject(s)
Play Therapy , Siblings/psychology , Stress, Psychological/therapy , Adaptation, Psychological , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
The resiliency of families, based on family functioning and family hardiness, may influence caregivers' anxiety while their child is in the hospital undergoing treatment for his or her chronic illness. The current study assessed the relationship among these factors for caregivers of children with various chronic illnesses who were residing at a local Ronald McDonald House (RMH). Caregivers completed paper-based questionnaires to assess family hardiness, functioning, and parent state anxiety and interviews to identify positive and negative strategies and behaviors affecting how they were coping with their child's illness. Findings indicated that family functioning mediated the relationship between family hardiness and caregiver anxiety as a resilience factor that further reduced caregiver anxiety. During interviews, caregivers suggested that support from family members strengthened their coping abilities. Negative interactions with their child's medical team and not knowing how or being equipped to help their child live with his or her illness heightened caregiver stress. Future research should focus on developing, implementing, and measuring the effectiveness of interventions to improve caregiver support, such as by holding caregiver support groups at local RMHs, especially during a child's hospitalization.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Anxiety/etiology , Caregivers/psychology , Chronic Disease , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Middle Aged , Qualitative Research , Resilience, Psychological , Risk Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young AdultABSTRACT
Adolescent substance use is a serious problem often invoking negative reactions. The current study extends the literature in this area. A total of 425 college students read one of five vignettes, each of which described an adolescent who used marijuana, hard liquor, or drank an occasional beer (control) and who had received or not received treatment. Participants responded to questions assessing acceptance, willingness to help, and beliefs about the adolescent's academic functioning. Students provided higher acceptance of the adolescent who drank an occasional beer compared to the one who had received treatment for alcohol use and the one who was using marijuana, but did not receive treatment. Results differed based on question type, suggesting that interpretation of stigma is complex and that context plays a role in understanding perceptions. Future research, focusing on reasons for differences in judgments across contexts, will provide new information.
