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Family and parental functioning in cystic fibrosis
1Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Insights
Families of children with cystic fibrosis (CF) face significant challenges and stress. Despite similarities in family functioning, parental distress and avoidant coping predict poorer adjustment for these families.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Family Studies
- Chronic Illness Management
Background:
- Cystic Fibrosis (CF) presents unique challenges for families, impacting daily life and relationships.
- Understanding family functioning and parental adjustment is crucial for supporting children with chronic conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review literature on family and parental functioning in children with CF.
- To identify factors predicting adjustment and evaluate existing interventions.
- To compare families of children with CF to those of healthy children.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of 31 recent articles.
- Analysis of studies focusing on family functioning, parental stress, coping mechanisms, and interventions.
- Comparison of findings between families with children with CF and control groups.
Main Results:
- Common concerns include treatment burden, the chronic nature of CF, and relationship disruptions.
- Parents of children with CF report higher stress, yet family functioning is comparable to controls.
- Poor psychological adjustment is linked to high distress, avoidant coping, and low family support.
Conclusions:
- Families of children with CF experience unique burdens, but core functioning can remain similar to healthy families.
- Psychological well-being is influenced by distress, coping strategies, and social support.
- Future research should employ diverse methods and focus on individual variations and interventions.
Abstract:
This article reviews 31 recent articles that describe the functioning of families and/or parents of children with cystic fibrosis (CF), compares them to families of healthy children, pinpoints factors that predict quality of adjustment, or evaluates interventions designed to improve functioning. Commonly cited concerns included the difficulty of the treatment regimen, the terminal nature of CF, and the disruption of intrafamilial relationships. Parents of children with CF experienced greater stress and burdens than parents of healthy children, yet parenting behavior and family functioning were quite similar in CF and healthy control groups. Higher levels of distress, an avoidant coping style, and low levels of family support were associated with poor psychological adjustment. Recommendations for future research include: using multiple informants; using detailed, illness-specific measures and conceptual frameworks; and conducting studies of individual variation and interventions. Practitioners might consider performing periodic updates of how the family is managing as a whole.