The Strong Parents-Strong Children Programme: parental support in serious and chronic child illness.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effectiveness of an intervention programme developed to help parents manage serious child illness.


METHODS
Information from previous research about parents' stress of managing their children's serious illnesses, plus their wishes for what to do about it, were used to develop a behavioural intervention to be used with groups of parents with seriously ill children. The 6-week programme, called 'Strong Parents-Strong Children', was tested using a wait-list control design, and evaluated by standardised and researcher-developed psychological measures.


RESULTS
Several significant post-test changes in healthier directions were found for the study group, compared with the control group. Additionally, the group process and session helpfulness received positive appraisals, personal goals were attained at high levels, and most participants said they would recommend the programme to others in similar situations.


CONCLUSIONS
The programme appears to have a significant and positive impact on the parents of seriously ill children.
Jerram
Helen
H
Strong Parents-Strong Children Foundation, Auckland.
Raeburn
John
J
Stewart
Alistair
A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002668:Child Rearing; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000523:psychology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*