No description available.

Much of the prior research on the psychosocial aspects of end stage renal disease (ESRD) has focused solely on the individual, without considering the family's role in patient adjustment. Little research has been conducted on the contextual elements of the patient's adjustment to renal failure and dialysis. It was the purpose of this study to assess the effect of family relationships on a patient's health locus of control as a measure of adjustment to ESRD. Health locus of control was hypothesized to be dependent on the family relationship variables of cohesiveness, adaptability and independence; as well as a communications variable measuring incongruent communications. From the general context of the double bind a path model was constructed to estimate the associations among the variables. Data was collected and analyzed on 91 ESRD patients from four dialysis treatment centers and a sample of Continuous Ambulatory Perotineal Dialysis patients. The results of this research suggest that the double bind theory may be an excellent explanatory paradigm for patient adjustment to chronic illness. It was found that the greater the perceived paradox in family communications the more likely the patient was to subscribe to an externally oriented health locus of control. The family relationship variables were found to be indirect predictors of health locus of control, acting through the family communications process. / Ph. D.

The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to examine the effects of ambiguity of loss and type of caregiver-to-patient relationship on anticipatory grief, negative physical and psychological outcomes associated with grief, and boundary ambiguity in family caregivers of chronically ill patients. Questionnaires were completed by 23 parents of ill children and 30 spouses of ill mates. Using an original and a revised concept for level of ambiguity, partial support was found for the prediction that parents and spouses in high ambiguity of loss circumstances would report more anticipatory grief than those in low ambiguity ones. Contrary to prediction, a slight but nonsignificant trend occurred for parents and spouses in low ambiguity situations to report more negative physical and psychological effects associated with grief as well. Level of ambiguity was not found to impact boundary ambiguity as had been hypothesized. Spouses reported more boundary ambiguity than parents, regardless of level of ambiguity of the loss. Contrary to prediction that parents would report less anticipatory grief and more negative physical and psychological outcomes than spouses, generally, no significant differences were found between the two groups. However, using the original concept of ambiguity, parents did tend to recall more past grief than spouses. The study highlighted several methodological concerns which impact research on loss and grief, particularly the difficulty involved in recruiting participants with subsequent occurrence of sampling bias, rudimentary status of available measurement tools, and a host of potentially confounding personal and sociodemographic variables. The present study supports a view of the loss which occurs in families dealing with chronic illness as a complex process whose impact on grief, distress, and family upheaval is influenced by multiple factors. Such factors include both the ambiguity of the loss and the type of family relationship involved. Complex research of a longitudinal nature using psychosocial models of illness is needed to better delineate the impact of factors such as these.

Not available / text

Thesis (M.S.)--Texas Woman's University, 1997. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2004. / Supervisors: Larry Browning and Rajiv Rimal. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Nov. 12, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-58).

The purpose of the present research is to investigate whether or not chronically ill children are victims of child abuse more frequently than healthy children. The gender of the child and of the parent will also be examined for differences in the treatment children receive.

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / This research sets guidelines for parents of chronically ill children. The guidelines are aimed at equipping the parents to cope more efficiently with the chronic illness and to support other family members in doing so. The nature of chronic illness and its effect on the sick child, his education, the parents and siblings have been researched in the literature study. Chronic illness affects family members in different ways. The· illness affects the sick child's physical, emotional, cognitive, moral and psychosocial development. The parent's total existence and the education of their child are also affected. The illness influences the emotional, cognitive, moral and psychosocial development of siblings. The effect of chronic illness on family members gives rise to certain needs concerned with coping with the illness. Parents as the caretakers of the family and educators of the child are mainly responsible, to assist family members to deal with the illness and its consequences. An empirical study was carried out, involving 102 parents of chronically ill children. This study confirmed that the chronic illness impedes the education process and complicates the adequate development and maturation of specifically the sick child. The effect that chronic illness has on other family members was also confirmed. The empirical study proved that parents need assistance to cope with the illness. They need assistance for themselves as well as assistance in helping other family members to cope. Based on this literature study and the results of the empirical research, guidelines were developed for the parents of the chronically ill child. These guidelines empower the parents in their support roles. It enables them to deal with the needs of the family thereby enabling family members to cope more efficiently with the illness. Several guidelines have been given regarding how to cope with the matters concerned with educational, physical, emotional, cognitive, moral and psychosocial consequences of the illness. Parents should streamline these guidelines to suit the needs of every unique child and the rest of his family. / Hierdie navorsing stel riglyne vir ouers van 'n cluoniese siek kind. Die riglyne is daarop gemik om die ouers te bemagtig om cluoniese siekte beter te kan hanteer en ander gesinslede te steun in hulle hantering van die siekte. Die aard van cluoniese siekte en die effek daarvan op die siek kind, sy opvoeding, die ouers en sibbe is in die literatuurstudie nagevors. Cluoniese siekte raak elke gesinslid op verskeie wyses. Die siek kind se liggaamlike, emosionele, kognitiewe, morele en psigososiale ontwikkeling word deur die siekte beYnvloed. Ouers se totale bestaan en hulle opvoeding van die kind word deur die siekte geraak. Die siekte beYnvloed sibbe se emosionele, kognitiewe, morele en psigososiale ontwikkeling. Die effek van chroniese siekte op elke gesinslid laat behoeftes, wat met die hantering van die siekte verband hou, by elkeen ontstaan. Ouers as versorgers van die gesin en opvoeders van die kind is grootliks verantwoordelik om die siek kind en ander gesinslede te help om die siekte en die gevolge daarvan te hanteer. 'n Empiriese ondersoek is uitgevoer waarby I 02 ouers van cluoniese siek kinders betrek is. Die empiriese ondersoek het bevestig dat cluoniese siekte opvoeding kan bemoeilik en toereikende ontwikkeling en volwassewording by veral die siek kind kompliseer. Chroniese siekte se effek op die ander gesinslede is ook bevestig. Die empiriese ondersoek het aangedui dat ouers behoeftes aan hulp het om die siekte te kan hanteer. Ouers se behoeftes het verband gehou met hulp aan hulself en hulp om die ander gesinslede te help om die siekte beter te hanteer. Op grond van die literatuurstudie en die resultate van die empiriese ondersoek, is riglyne vir ouers van die cluoniese siek kind geskryf. Die riglyne bemagtig ouers as steungewers deurdat hulle toenemend in staat gestel word om in die gesin se behoeftes te voorsien, sodat gesinslede die siekte beter kan hanteer. Verskeie riglyne om sake rakende die siekte te hanteer, is gegee. Daar is aan opvoedkundige, liggaamlike, emosionele, kognitiewe, morele en psigososiale aspekte aandag gegee. Die ouers behoort die riglyne te verbesonder vir elke unieke kind en sy gesin. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed.(Sielkunde Opvoedkunde)