Social Support among Parents of Children with Congenital Heart Disease, Parents of Children with Other Diseases and Parents of Healthy Children

Abstract

The study reported here compared social support experiences among parents of children born with congenital heart disease PCCHD (n=1 092), parents of children with other diseases PCOD (n=112), and parents of healthy children PHC (n=293). In addition, factors related to social support among the parents were identified. The parents completed a questionnaire about such areas as availability of social support, financial strain, and psychological distress. The design was cross-sectional and data were collected over 20 consecutive days. The univariate analysis indicated that availability of social attachment was low among all parents and moderate concerning interaction/integration, with no significant differences between PCCHD, PCOD, and PHC. In addition, the univariate analysis indicated that mothers within all parent groups had lower availability of social support than fathers, with the lowest availability among mothers of children with CHD. The multivariate analysis indicated, however, that extra time devoted to care giving, financial instability (e.g. unemployment and financial burden of children's diseases), psychological distress, and hopelessness accounted for the variation in availability of social support more than gender, children's diseases, and their severity. The study corroborated previous findings and may have provided new insights into factors that may be associated with social support experiences among PCCHD. Implications for interventions are discussed.

• congenital heart defects
• fathers
• mothers
• predictors
• social isolation

Lawoko S, Soares JJF. Social support among parents of children with congenital heart disease, parents of children with other diseases and parents of healthy children.

Lawoko S, Soares JJF. Social support among parents of children with congenital heart disease, parents of children with other diseases and parents of healthy children.