‘I can hardly breathe’: Exploring the parental experience of having a child with a functional disorder
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Functional disorders in children and adolescents are common. Still, little is known about parents’ experience of having a child with a functional disorder. The aim of this qualitative interview study was to explore challenges encountered by parents caring for a child undergoing treatment for functional disorder. Sixteen parents to children with functional disorders were interviewed when their child was referred from a paediatric department for further specialized treatment with family therapy in child and adolescent mental health services. Analysis identified three themes, reflecting the parental experiences: parents in limbo, which described how limited knowledge about functional disorders among professionals in non-specialized settings influenced parental roles; a counterintuitive kind of caring, describing parental struggles with adhering to treatment recommendations for functional disorders; and challenges to parental identity, describing parental emotional challenges. These challenges may bar the acceptance of psychological treatment approaches in families with a child with functional disorders.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Journal of Child Health Care |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 2 |
Pages (from-to) | 165-179 |
Number of pages | 15 |
ISSN | 1367-4935 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2020 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2019.
- Child and adolescent mental health, family, paediatric, parenting, qualitative approaches
Research areas
ID: 278485121