Description and adequacy of parental coping behaviours in childhood leukaemia.
This investigation explored how parents perceived the child's leukaemia and how well coped with it. Forty-one mothers and 30 fathers recruited from the largest Hellenic paediatric hospital were asked to answer closed and open-ended questions and to complete the Coping Health Inventory for Parents [CHIP]. Most of the participants perceived the child's disease as a serious and threatening situation. The strategies aimed at maintaining family strength and an optimistic outlook were ranked as being the most helpful. Using specific criteria, it became evident that, overall, the subjects coped well. Neither gender nor spousal differences were found in the variables examined. Implications for health-related research, theory and practitioners are addressed.
Patistea
Evangelia
E
Health Visiting Department, Technological Educational Institution of Athens, 26 Mitilinis St., 151 26 Marousi, Athens, Greece. epatiste@teiath.gr
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D005192:Family Health; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires