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[Self-image of asthmatic children expressed in their drawings]
Insights
Children with chronic asthma often experience emotional distress, impacting their self-perception and potentially leading to secondary gains. Some asthmatic children, however, maintain a positive self-image and prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Childhood Asthma Research
- Psychosomatic Medicine
Context:
- Chronic asthma significantly impacts children's emotional well-being.
- Asthma attacks can be triggered by stress, highlighting psychosomatic components.
- Understanding the psychological impact is crucial for comprehensive asthma management.
Purpose:
- To investigate the emotional state and self-perception of children with chronic asthma.
- To analyze the psychological impact of asthma on children's self-image and social interactions.
- To differentiate between asthmatic children with varying psychological responses to their condition.
Summary:
- A study compared drawings of 50 asthmatic children (8-14 years) with 20 controls.
- 60% of asthmatic children's drawings indicated illness perception and underestimated self-image.
- Half utilized asthma for secondary gain; the remainder felt healthy with a good prognosis.
Impact:
- Reveals a significant psychological dimension to childhood asthma, affecting self-perception.
- Identifies distinct coping mechanisms and social dynamics related to chronic illness in children.
- Informs therapeutic interventions by highlighting the need to address emotional well-being and self-image in pediatric asthma care.
Abstract:
Chronic asthma has an obligatory influence on the emotional state of children with this disease. The disease has psychosomatic components and stress can be the principal cause of the attacks of dyspnea. 50 asthmatic children, 8-14 years of age, were examined and their drawings were compared with those of 20 control children. The drawings of 60% of the asthmatic children were interpreted as showing that they regarded themselves as ill and that they underestimate their self-image. Half of the group use the disease for secondary gain from their peers, and especially from their parents. The rest feel themselves to be healthy without restriction in their daily lives. The prognosis for asthmatic attacks in this group is good.