FAMILY FUNCTIONING AND COPING IN PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH LEUKEMIA AND PARENTS OF WELL SCHOOLAGED CHILDREN (RELATIONSHIPS, APPRAISAL).
Contributors: Case Western Reserve University.
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 160
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study was designed to examine the qualities of family units that enable them to remain satisfied with family relationships despite the stress engendered by the experience of living with a schoolaged child with leukemia in remission. This descriptive exploratory study was based on the assumption that the every day experience of living with a child with leukemia in remission was stressful, and would be perceived as a harm/loss, threat or challenge. A convenience sample of 30 parent dyads of a child with leukemia in remission and a comparison convenience sample of 32 parent dyads were selected to examine differences between the groups on family functioning, tension-anxiety and emotion-focused coping strategies. Hypotheses were derived from the Lazarus stress and coping framework. The children in both groups were 6 to 10 years of age. The study instruments included: The Feetham Family Functioning Survey; The Lazarus and Folkman Ways of Coping checklist, and The Profile of Mood States. Separate independent t tests were computed to examine differences between the groups on the major study variables. Correlated t tests were calculated to examine differences between the mother-father pairs of each family for both groups. Findings were controlled on demographic variables.

Significant differences were found between the mothers of children with leukemia in remission and the mothers of well schoolaged children on dissatisfaction with family relationships and tension-anxiety levels. There were no differences found on these variables for fathers between the groups. No differences were found between the mothers and fathers of both groups on the use of emotion-focused coping strategies. Additional findings indicated that the majority of these parents of children with leukemia in remission perceived the experience as a challenge. The findings, implications for future study, and implications for nursing are included.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-11, Section: B, page: 3785.

Thesis (PH.D.)--CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, 1985.

School code: 0042.