E-Mental-Health-Angebote für Eltern eines Kindes mit einer seltenen chronischen Erkrankung

Abstract

BackgroundIn the European Union a disease is considered to be rare if no more than 5 in 10,000 people are affected. In approximately 50% of rare diseases the first symptoms already occur in childhood. A high level of nursing care and an often uncertain prognosis contribute to the development of psychological stress in many parents of affected children. The aim of this article is to outline the needs of parents caring for a child with a rare disease with respect to interventional approaches and the current situation in the German healthcare system.Material and methodsEstablished interventional approaches from the literature are presented.ResultsPsychological support options for caring parents are barely integrated into the regular clinical care of children with rare diseases. Standard psychotherapeutic care is difficult to access for parents due to long waiting times and a relatively high level of care required by the children. E‑mental health offers a good opportunity to carry out evidence-based psychological interventions with low thresholds and flexibility in terms of space and time, thus reducing the supply gap.ConclusionAs health expenditure is continuously increasing in western industrialized countries, e‑mental health has the potential to sustainably contribute to saving costs by increasing efficiency and effectiveness, provide patients with high-quality care and making the healthcare economy more efficient.