A. Medical Challenges. |
1. Increased time demands to attend medical appointments and provide care for children during school absences. |
2. Increased financial burden, to cover medical co-payments and treatments not covered by insurance. |
3. Negotiation of relative responsibility with child for medical management. |
B. Vocational and Avocational Challenges. |
1. Reduction of or withdrawal from career or other pursuits. |
2. Financial consequences of reduction in employment. |
C. Interpersonal Relationships. |
1. Increased attention to child may detract time and energy from other relationships. |
2. Negotiation of shared management of child’s treatment with partner. |
3. Dealing with a child’s concern about becoming a burden to family and friends. |
4. Potential for strengthened relationships through shared adversity. |
5. Prolonged parenting commitments due to a child’s delayed achievement of autonomy. |
D. Psychological Well-being. |
1. Uncertainty about offspring’s current disease status, success of medical regimens, trajectory of disease. |
2. The need to help children cope with negative emotions related to disease-associated challenges can be emotionally taxing. |
3. Treatment demands may overwhelm parental psychological resources and deplete time for self-care. |
4. Potential for strengthening psychological resources through adversity. |