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Parent and Family Functioning in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Grace Cushman1, Sharon Shih2, Bonney Reed3
1Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Insights
Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) significantly impacts families. This review highlights the crucial role of parent and family functioning in managing pediatric IBD and improving child outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Family Systems Psychology
- Child Health Outcomes
Background:
- Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects not only children but also their parents and families.
- Existing research predominantly focuses on the child's medical and psychosocial well-being, with limited attention to the family unit.
- Understanding family dynamics is vital for effective pediatric IBD management and child care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review empirical research on parent and family functioning in pediatric IBD.
- To compare family functioning in pediatric IBD to normative groups and other pediatric illnesses.
- To examine the relationship between parent/family functioning and child health and psychosocial outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of empirical studies on parent and family functioning in pediatric IBD.
- Analysis of key variables including parenting stress, parent psychosocial functioning, parent quality of life, and family functioning.
- Comparison of findings with normative data and other pediatric conditions.
Main Results:
- Parenting stress, parent psychosocial functioning, parent quality of life, and family functioning are key areas explored in existing literature.
- Complex interrelationships exist between parents, families, and children with IBD.
- Parent and family functioning are significantly associated with child psychosocial and health outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Assessing parent and family functioning is essential in the comprehensive care of pediatric IBD.
- Findings have implications for clinical practice and highlight the need for family-centered interventions.
- Future research should further explore these complex relationships and inform evidence-based support strategies.
Abstract:
Although the impact of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) extends beyond the patient to their parents and families, the focus of previous literature has largely been on investigating the patient's medical and psychosocial functioning, with less consideration of the family system. Having a comprehensive understanding of parent and family functioning within the context of pediatric IBD is important given the role parents and family members have in the successful management of the disease and caring of the child. The current review paper aggregates the empirical research regarding parent and family functioning, including comparisons to normative samples, other illness groups, and how functioning relates to child psychosocial and health outcomes. Extant literature on parents and families in pediatric IBD has largely focused on the variables of parenting stress, parent psychosocial functioning, parent quality of life, and family functioning. Summary findings elucidate the complex relationships between parents, families, and children affected by IBD and highlight the importance of assessing parent and family functioning within pediatric IBD. The current review also offers implications for clinical practice, notes the limitations of the present literature, and provides recommendations for future research.
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