Educational intervention for parents of adolescents with chronic illness: a pre-post test pilot study

Christina Akre; Anne-Sylvie Ramelet; André Berchtold; Joan-Carles Suris

doi:10.1515/ijamh-2014-0020

Article

Educational intervention for parents of adolescents with chronic illness: a pre-post test pilot study

Christina Akre , Anne-Sylvie Ramelet , André Berchtold and Joan-Carles Suris

Published/Copyright: August 14, 2014

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From the journal International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health Volume 27 Issue 3

Abstract

Objective: This pilot experimental study tested the feasibility and intended effect of an educational intervention for parents to help them assist their adolescent child with chronic illness (CI) in becoming autonomous.

Methods: A two-phase pre-post pilot intervention study targeting parents of adolescents with CI was conducted. Parents were allocated to group 1 and 2 and received the four-module intervention consecutively. Intended effect was measured through online questionnaires for parents and adolescents before, at 2 months after, and at 4–6 months after the intervention. Feasibility was assessed through an evaluation questionnaire for parents.

Results: The most useful considered modules concerned the future of the adolescent and parents and social life. The most valued aspect was to exchange with other parents going through similar problems and receiving a new outlook on their relationship with their child. For parents, improvement trends appeared for shared management, parent protection, and self-efficacy, and worsening trends appeared for coping skills, parental perception of child vulnerability, and parental stress. For adolescents, improvement trends appeared for self-efficacy and parental bonding and worsening trends appeared for shared management and coping skills.

Conclusion: Parents could benefit from peer-to-peer support and education as they support the needed autonomy development of their child. Future studies should test an online platform for parents to find peer support at all times and places.

Keywords: adolescent; autonomy; chronic illness; educational intervention; parent; peer education; self-efficacy; self-management

Corresponding author: Christina Akre, MA, Institut universitaire de médecine sociale et préventive (IUMSP), Lausanne University Hospital, Biopôle 2, Route de la Corniche 10, 1010 Lausanne, Switzerland, Phone: +41-21-3147257, Fax: +41-21-3147244, E-mail: Christina.Akre@chuv.ch

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Département Universitaire de Médecine Sociale et Communautaire (DUMSC) of the Lausanne University Hospital. We thank all the parents for taking part in the intervention and answering the questionnaires, as well as their adolescent children for answering the questionnaires. We thank James Akre for his thorough work in the back-translation process. We also thank Dr. Gaudenz Hafen, Dr. Michael Hauschild, Dr. Michael Hofer, Dr. Cécile Jerôme Choudja, Dr. Andreas Nydegger, Dr. Isabelle Rochat, and Mr. Rui Terra from the Medical and Surgical Pediatric Department of the Lausanne University Hospital for their precious collaboration in providing study participants.

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Received: 2014-4-8

Accepted: 2014-7-16

Published Online: 2014-8-14

Published in Print: 2015-8-1

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2014-0020

Keywords for this article

adolescent; autonomy; chronic illness; educational intervention; parent; peer education; self-efficacy; self-management