title: Family reactions and coping strategies in response to the physically ill or handicapped child: a review.
abstract: This article reviews a broad range of clinical and research material investigating the coping processes of individuals and families, particularly in response to a serious illness or handicapping condition in a child family member. The interactive effects of family and illness are established; then several theoretical, descriptive and empirical theories of coping are presented. Coping responses of family members and the family unit as a whole to minor illness, to chronic illness and handicapping conditions, to childhood cancer, and to death in childhood are all discussed. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications and benefits for the physician and other health care professionals in adopting a family-oriented treatment approach.
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D004194:Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family; D006296:Health Services; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology