Concerns, coping behaviour and sense of coherence in parents of children with chronic illness

Abstract

RATIONALE: Clinical research indicates that children who have chronic illnesses, such as epilepsy, have a higher incidence of psychosocial problems. A key contributing factor is the ability of parents to cope with the chronic illness: excessive parental anxiety, restriction of activities, lack of communication and support. The quality of life of children with epilepsy can be improved by empowering their families and carers to successfully deal with the condition through coping resources.

METHODS: In this study, sense of coherence and coping strategies of parents of 44 Maltese children with epilepsy, aged between 2–14 years were evaluated using a health team approach. Parents were selected from records of children attending the Children’s Outpatients Clinic, in Malta’s Main General Hospital. Parents of children who had other disabilities and medical conditions besides epilepsy, were excluded. Two questionnaires were used: Anthonovsky’s Sense of Coherence (SOC) and a semi-structured questionnaire assessing parental attitudes and behaviour to-wards the child’s epilepsy, including demographic data of respondent, medications taken and general information on the child’s epilepsy.

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