Abstract
Parenting a child with chronic disease provides a unique set of challenges for both mothers and fathers throughout all phases of the illness. However, fathers of these children are under-represented in existing research. This review focuses on the fathers of children with chronic disease included in 44 original articles. We address the challenges to the father’s role as breadwinner, leader and strength-giver in the family. Three time-periods describe the obstacles fathers tackle when parenting children with chronic disease: a) diagnosis and short-term, characterized by distress, isolation and uncertainty; b) the mastery period, characterized by the struggle to establish routine and by support and spirituality; and c) the long-term, characterized by relationship and personality change, worries and bereavement. Overall, whilst current research has revealed some key themes pertaining to fathers of children with chronic disease, further studies are required to foster the development of support mechanisms for the specific needs of these fathers.
Henry Goldstein undertook this work during a final-year medical student elective at the Research Group on Adolescent Health in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Conflict of interest statement
Competing interests: none.
Funding: none.
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Masthead
- Masthead
- Editorial
- Unintentional death in childhood and adolescence
- Review
- Detached, distraught or discerning? Fathers of adolescents with chronic illness: a review of the literature
- Original Articles
- Perception of transition readiness and preferences for use of technology in transition programs: teens’ ideas for the future
- Adaptation of an internet-based depression prevention intervention for Chinese adolescents: from “CATCH-IT” to “grasp the opportunity”
- Smaller pelvic size in pregnant adolescents contributes to lower birth weight
- R620W polymorphism of protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPN22 in Egyptian children and adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus: relation to thyroid autoimmunity
- Motivational stage of change in young patients undergoing day treatment for eating disorders
- Leveraging microfinance to impact HIV and financial behaviors among adolescents and their mothers in West Bengal: a cluster randomized trial
- Patterns of contraception choice among Hispanic and non-Hispanic female adolescents
- Translation of children’s cycling into steps: the share of cycling in 10-year-olds’ physical activity
- Weight gain in an eating disorders day program
- Case Report
- Weight loss as a result of religious zeal in young Orthodox Jewish males