Chronic Childhood Disease--An Introduction to Psychological Theory and Research

Abstract

Few families, on diagnosis, realise the extent to which chronic childhood disease will change every aspect of their lives. This book is concerned with some of these changes, and reviews what is understood of how children and families learn to cope, integrating the restrictions of disease and treatment with other more routine aspects of their lives. The author draws extensively on published research findings in child health psychology, and also on her own experience of working with paediatric medical and nursing staff. The emphasis througout her book is on coping, and helping families to cope, with the stresses imposed by chronic childhood illness. Frequent hospital admissions, pain and its evaluation and control, adjustment and sources of support, communication, education and programmes for intervention, all of these topics are discussed sensitively and with authority. The book is written at a level appropriate for psychologists in training, and equally for other health professionals involved with childhood illness, whether in medicine, nursing or rehabilitation. It will therefore be of value to clinical child psychologists, health and educational psychologists, paediatricians, GPs, nurses and therapists and to trainees in these disciplines. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)