title: Family Functioning as a Constituent Aspect of a Child's Chronic Illness.
abstract: This study explored how family functioning may contribute to trace a child's illness trajectory. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 33 parents of children in care at a hospice in northern Italy. We also examined the medical records of the children, and interviewed the physician who cared for them. Data analysis was based on the grounded theory approach. Different illness progressions corresponded to the different ways with which families experienced the illness: possibility, focus on illness, denial, and anger. Clinical interventions should involve the whole family and take into account their role in the construction of illness trajectories.
authors: Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. Electronic address: sabrina.cipolletta@unipd.it.
authors: Sabrina
authors: S
authors: Cipolletta
authors: Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Marchesin
authors: Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care Service, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors: Franca
authors: F
authors: Benini
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005192:Family Health; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D066296:Grounded Theory; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010372:Pediatrics; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Children; Chronic illness; Family; Grounded theory; Qualitative methods