Abstract
Being diagnosed with and having a life-limiting illness is a stressful experience which is compounded when the patient has dependent children. An important aspect of the patient’s psychosocial care should include recognition that their children are also likely to experience severe stress because of the illness. However, children’s needs are often overlooked during the illness. These needs include information about the illness. Health care professionals have a significant role in supporting patients to communicate with their children. This study aims to increase our understanding of children’s experiences when a parent has a life-limiting illness by exploring bereaved children’s experiences of the support they received when their parent had a life-limiting illness, and professionals’ perspectives of the support offered to children. 7 children (aged between 9 and 24), and 16 health care professionals were interviewed about communication during parental illness. Children report needing open, clear and age appropriate conversations with parents and health care professionals to help them begin to obtain some meaning from the situation. The importance of communication is discussed, with particular reference to the role health care professionals have in supporting these conversations.
Highlights
Children are exposed to significant levels of psychosocial stress when a parent is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness [1]
The smaller themes identified included: parents communicating with children, professionals communicating with children, children communicating with parents, children communicating with professionals, being told what is happening, professional’s anxiety about communicating, awareness of what is happening
There is an interrelationship whereby children want and need to have conversations with their parents about the illness and parents look to their health care professionals (HCPs) for support in doing this
Summary
Children are exposed to significant levels of psychosocial stress when a parent is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness [1]. Their parent’s illness becomes a feature of daily life which requires pragmatic and psychological adaptation [2]. The illness and treatments have a significant impact on the lives of children, families and parents [4]. Parents are required to face the challenges of coping with the illness and its treatment, but are exposed to the challenges of meeting their children’s needs including talking to them about the illness [1,5]. The physical and psychological burdens may limit their awareness and capacity to respond to their children’s needs [4]
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