Parent and professional perceptions about stress and coping strategies during a child's lengthy hospitalization

The two goals of this study were (1) to describe the stressors and coping strategies of families whose children with chronic illness require lengthy hospitalizations and (2) to compare family reports of stress and coping strategies to professionals perceptions of the same. A non-randomized sample of 13 families (13 mothers and 5 fathers) whose child with chronic illness was hospitalized for a minimum of 30 days and 11 professionals who worked with such children were interviewed in a semi-structured survey using open-ended questions. Key phrases from family interviews were organized into categories of family-reported stressors and coping strategies. Key phrases from professional interviews were categorized into family stressors and descriptions of challenging families. Families and professionals reported that personal emotions and communication problems were the most predominant stressors.