The researcher observed that her son experienced his dermatological disorder as a barrier to learning. This personal experience made her wonder whether this might apply in the case of other learners too, and from this the aim of the research, namely to discover the extent to which dermatological disorders influence learning, was born. A qualitative case study involving interviews and questionnaires to explore the views of learners, parents, and teachers regarding chronic dermatological disorders was used. The findings indicated that while learning is indeed influenced by chronic dermatological disorders, parents and teachers are supportive of learners with these disorders. The following recommendations were made to overcome the learning barriers caused by chronic dermatological disorders: the forming of support groups, the use of social media and technology, inclusive education, the training of teachers in inclusive education, the implementation of educational policies relating to the health of learners, and collaboration between parents and teachers. Patience, endurance, consistent treatment, and understanding the problem are key survival techniques for learners with chronic dermatological disorders. / Psychology of Education

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The employment of metaphors in drawing meaning from our experiences is an indispensable ingredient in most patient narratives. More specifically, they are essential to the conceptual system we reference to understand and respond to the disruptions brought upon by chronic illness. Through an analysis of patient narratives penned by a group of contemporary American authors, this study identifies trends in how patients can use metaphor to “bridge” the gap between their lives pre and post diagnosis, a process that in many cases presents vulnerability as a viable remedy for alleviating the alienation and diminished self-image so often impacting the lives of patients with lifelong disorders. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This study explores the process of psychological adjustment to multiple sclerosis. Fourteen participants who were given a definite diagnosis of multiple sclerosis between five and forty years prior to the study and who experienced the relapse-remitting form of the disease were interviewed face to face using a semi structured interview schedule. Grounded theory was used to analyse the interviews and to build a theoretical account of the process of psychological adjustment to multiple sclerosis. The results suggest a model of adjustment in which some individuals with multiple sclerosis move from a stance of denial to a position of acknowledgement in response to the progress of the disease. Reaching acknowledgement allows individuals to adopt an active coping stance which can protect against negative psychological consequences. This adjustment process takes place against an overall process in which individuals experience multiple sclerosis as a progression through a series of different disease phases. Findings suggest that individuals also have to adjust within the social context. Role adjustment and communication were found to be central issues in the family adjustment process. Communication was also central to adjustment in the wider social context. Participants' service use suggests that they also undertake an adjustment from reliance on medical approaches to seeking out self help and alternative approaches. It is argued that this service use process reflects the individual adjustment process. The findings are critically evaluated and compared to existing models of adaptation to chronic illness. The clinical and service implications are discussed. A critical discussion of the methodology is presented and implications for further research are explored.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

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The focus of this research is the stress placed on a child when a sibling in the family has a chronic illness or disability, and analysis of what factors may buffer this stress and be associated with well child resilience in the face of family illness. Several major studies from other countries (Cadman, Boyle, & Offord, 1988; Houtzager, Grootenhuis, Caron & Last, 2005; Laufersweiler-Plass, Rudnik-Schoneborn, Zerres, Backes, Lehmkuhl & von Gontart, 2003; Sharpe & Rossiter, 2002; Williams, Williams, Graff, Hanson et al., 2002) suggest that there may be deleterious outcomes for well children in such families, for example higher rates of anxiety, depression, aggressive behaviour and rule breaking behaviour. However there is a lack of clarity about the processes which lead to these negative outcomes. The current study had two major research aims. The first was to describe social, family and personal characteristics of a group of well children with siblings who have a chronic illness or disability. The second aim was to examine relationships between adjustment problems in these well children and factors relating to the family (income, number of children in family, respite availability and utilisation), parents (stress, parenting style, maternal education, access to support) and children (ill child behaviour, amount of care required, well child age, well and ill child participation in social activities). Adjustment in well-children (n=102) was assessed using child self report, child projective and parent rating measures. Parents rated well children with ill siblings as significantly higher in externalising and internalising behaviour than age and gender matched population norms. Children did not rate their behaviour problems higher than norms but did indicate quite high rates of emotional problems on a projective (drawing) test. Parent-rated behaviours of well children were associated with parental, family and ill child variables, including (high) parental stress (daily hassles), (low) family income and (high) ill child internalising and externalising behaviours. Relationships between the well child's perception of having a sibling with a chronic illness or disability and various parent, child and family variables were also explored. Well children who listed more negative (than positive) attributes about having a sibling with a chronic illness were more aggressive and rule breaking in their behaviour. Well children with emotional problems, as assessed by the child family drawings, did not differ significantly from children without emotional problems in any of the parent, child or family variables however both the emotional problems index and the use of scribble drawings were associated with several measures of well child maladjustment. The results were discussed in terms of family systems and resilience theory. Implications for well children and their families including practical applications for existing interventions which target well children, ill siblings and parents were discussed and ideas for future directions for interventions to improve outcomes for well siblings were presented.