Children and Adolescents with Chronic Health Conditions

Author(s):  
Alina Morawska

Chronic childhood health conditions are common and significantly affect the child and family. This chapter begins by describing the central role parents play in children’s health outcomes and illness management and the impact the child’s health condition has on parents and the family. Few parenting interventions have been evaluated, and most focus on medical aspects rather than psychosocial factors related to child and family well-being. Existing approaches to parenting support are described, followed by an exploration of the evidence for Triple P interventions. Recent research using Positive Parenting for Healthy Living, a brief parenting intervention for parents with children with chronic health conditions, is showing promising outcomes. Policy and service implications of recent research are summarized.

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 92 (6) ◽  
pp. 876-878 ◽  
Author(s):  

Chronic health conditions affect many children and adolescents. These conditions are illnesses or impairments that are expected to last for an extended period of time and require medical attention and care that is above and beyond what would normally be expected for a child or adolescent of the same age, extensive hospitalization, or in-home health services.1 These conditions include, among others, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, spina bifida, hemophilia, seizure disorders, neuromuscular disease, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and congenital heart diseases. Although each specific condition may be relatively or extremely rare, when they are considered together, many children and adolescents are affected. Health conditions may be characterized by their duration and their severity. Although these terms are often linked, they refer to different aspects of a health condition. A chronic condition is generally one that has lasted or is expected to last more than a defined period of time, usually 3 months or longer. Conditions vary widely in their onset, course, and duration.2 Severity refers to the impact a condition has on a child's physical, intellectual, psychological, or social functioning.3 This impact may occur as a result of persistent symptoms, required treatments, limitations of activity or mobility, or interference with school, recreation, work, and family activities. Current estimates are that between 10 and 20 million American children and adolescents have some type of chronic health condition or impairment. Most of these conditions are relatively mild and interfere little with the children's ability to participate in usual childhood activities.4 However.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. e38-e39
Author(s):  
Benjamin Martinez ◽  
Petros Pechlivanoglou ◽  
Dorisa Meng ◽  
Benjamin Traubici ◽  
Quenby Mahood ◽  
...  

Abstract Primary Subject area Mental Health Background Chronic childhood health conditions are known to have an impact on the well-being of family members. Parental caregivers face well-defined adverse health outcomes, though less is known about the health impacts on siblings. Objectives To assess clinical health outcomes in siblings of children with chronic health condition(s) compared to siblings of healthy children or normative data. Design/Methods We searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycInfo, and CINAHL through June 4, 2020. We included English-language studies that: (1) reported clinically diagnosable mental or physical health outcomes of siblings of children (0-18 years old) diagnosed with any childhood chronic health condition; (2) included a comparison group; and (3) used an experimental or observational study design. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results We included 28 studies of the 9053 screened, comprising 10 cohort studies and 18 cross-sectional studies. Studies from 11 different countries reported most commonly on siblings of children with disabilities (12 studies), cancer (8 studies), or psychiatric disorders (4 studies). Siblings of children with chronic conditions had greater depression rating scale scores than their comparison groups (standardized mean difference 0.49; 95% CI 0.33-0.65; P < .001 [5 studies]) (Fig. 1), whereas anxiety scores did not differ significantly (standardized mean difference 0.24; 95% CI -0.03-0.52; P = .08 [6 studies]) (Fig. 2). Studies that reported on prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses, rather than rating scale scores, had mixed results, either indicating increased risk (3 studies) or no increased risk (4 studies) among exposed siblings. We did not meta-analyze effects for mortality (3 studies) or physical health outcomes (dental caries [1 study], traumatic brain injury [1 study], sexually transmitted infection [1 study], overweightness/obesity [1 study]) given the limited number of studies and between-study heterogeneity. Included studies were rated as high quality (12 studies) or of moderate quality (16 studies). Conclusion Siblings of children with chronic health conditions may be at an increased risk of depression. Our findings suggest the need for targeted interventions to support the psychological well-being of siblings of children with chronic health conditions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 462-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Ferro

Background.Despite the considerable physical, emotional and social change that occurs during emerging adulthood, there is little research that examines the association between having a chronic health condition and mental disorder during this developmental period. The aims of this study were to examine the sex-specific prevalence of lifetime mental disorder in an epidemiological sample of emerging adults aged 15–30 years with and without chronic health conditions; quantify the association between chronic health conditions and mental disorder, adjusting for sociodemographic and health factors; and, examine potential moderating and mediating effects of sex, level of disability and pain.Method.Data come from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health. Respondents were 15–30 years of age (n = 5947) and self-reported whether they had a chronic health condition. Chronic health conditions were classified as: respiratory, musculoskeletal/connective tissue, cardiovascular, neurological and endocrine/digestive. The World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 was used to assess the presence of mental disorder (major depressive disorder, suicidal behaviour, bipolar disorder and generalised anxiety disorder).Results.Lifetime prevalence of mental disorder was significantly higher for individuals with chronic health conditions compared with healthy controls. Substantial heterogeneity in the prevalence of mental disorder was found in males, but not in females. Logistic regression models adjusting for several sociodemographic and health factors showed that the individuals with chronic health conditions were at elevated risk for mental disorder. There was no evidence that the level of disability or pain moderated the associations between chronic health conditions and mental disorder. Sex was found to moderate the association between musculoskeletal/connective tissue conditions and bipolar disorder (β = 1.71, p = 0.002). Exploratory analyses suggest that the levels of disability and pain mediate the association between chronic health conditions and mental disorder.Conclusions.Physical and mental comorbidity is prevalent among emerging adults and this relationship is not augmented, but may be mediated, by the level of disability or pain. Findings point to the integration and coordination of public sectors – health, education and social services – to facilitate the prevention and reduction of mental disorder among emerging adults with chronic health conditions.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 105 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 277-285
Author(s):  
Ellen C. Perrin ◽  
Corinne Lewkowicz ◽  
Martin H. Young

Objective. These analyses were undertaken to investigate the number and types of services and assistance believed to be useful to children with a chronic health condition and their families. The perspective of mothers, fathers, and primary care physicians were sought separately and compared. Methods. Families that include at least 1 child with a chronic health condition were selected from pediatric practices in Central Massachusetts. All 3 respondents completed a questionnaire describing their own perspective of current needs and of the severity of the child's condition. The 3 perspectives are compared statistically and areas of agreement/disagreement are described. Results. Mothers, fathers, and physicians described children's and families' needs with a surprising degree of concordance. On the other hand, pediatricians identified fewer needs, despite rating the severity of children's illnesses as greater than did parents. Mothers and fathers agreed substantially about the level of severity of their child's condition and about their unmet needs. Conclusions. It is important that pediatric practice systems include effective mechanisms to assess parents' opinions regarding the unmet needs of their child/family in the face of a child with a chronic health condition. Without input from families, pediatricians are aware of only some of the needs that parents identify. Pediatrics 2000;105:277–285;children, chronic health condition.


Author(s):  
Christy M. Walcott ◽  
Sayward E. Harrison

Children with chronic health conditions may experience academic challenges for a multitude of reasons. This chapter provides an overview of the educational difficulties encountered by children with pediatric health conditions. It also provides a summary of the causes of some of the difficulties, such as the neurodevelopmental effects of a medical condition or treatment, school absenteeism, and school refusal. The chapter includes a table summarizing the neurocognitive effects of common pediatric health conditions. Information about school-based strategies for students with chronic health conditions is presented. The strategies include individual health plans, individualized accommodations, and individualized interventions to address factors that may affect educational outcomes. Finally, the chapter includes a problem-solving framework for school-based professionals to use when engaging in educational planning for a student with a pediatric health condition.


Author(s):  
F. Nearchou ◽  
A. Davies ◽  
E. Hennessy

Introduction. The Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) is one of the most widely employed tools for measuring perceived social support from three sources: family, friends and a significant other. This study aimed to establish the factor structure of the MSPSS in young adults living with chronic health conditions (CHCs). It also aimed to examine the reliability and convergent validity of the tool. Methods. A cross-sectional quantitative design was applied. Participants (n = 123, 90 females) were students aged 18–25 years recruited from Colleges of Further Education in Ireland (mean age of 20.1 years, s.d. = 2.43). Participants completed the MSPSS and two subscales of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey that assessed social functioning and emotional well-being. Results. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a three-factor solution of the MSPSS in young adults living with CHCs. The three factors together explained 83% of the variance in MSPSS scores. All the items had high loadings on the factors (0.72–0.94). The MSPSS showed satisfactory reliability and convergent validity. Conclusions. These findings suggest that the MSPSS is a valid and reliable tool for measuring perceived social support from three sources in young adults living with CHCs. Social support has been associated with positive outcomes in young adults living with CHCs, thus it is imperative for researchers and clinicians to have access to psychometrically sound instruments to evaluate the construct.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott O’Brien ◽  
Simon Nadel ◽  
Ofran Almossawi ◽  
David P. Inwald

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 841-841
Author(s):  
Can-Lan Sun ◽  
John H. Kersey ◽  
Liton Francisco ◽  
K. Scott Baker ◽  
Saro H. Armenian ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 841FN2 Background: High-intensity therapeutic exposures and prolonged immunosuppression increase the risk of long-term complications after HCT, with an attendant increase in the healthcare needs of these long-term survivors. We have previously demonstrated that morbidity increases with increasing time after HCT (Sun CL, Blood, 2010;116:3129–39). However, the burden of morbidity in patients who survive extended lengths of time after HCT and the consequent healthcare needs of these survivors are unknown. Methods: Utilizing resources offered by the BMTSS, we evaluated the risk of chronic health conditions and psychological health of 366 10+ year HCT survivors and their siblings (n=309). A severity score (grade 1 [mild]; grade 2 [moderate], grade 3[severe], grade 4 [life-threatening], and grade 5 [death due to chronic health condition]) was assigned to each health condition using the CTCAE, v3.0. Cumulative incidence of chronic health conditions was evaluated, using competing risks method. Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was used to describe adverse psychological health. Multivariate regression analysis allowed identification of vulnerable subgroups. The current status of healthcare utilization by the HCT survivors was also evaluated. Results: The mean age at HCT was 22 years (range: 0.4–59.8) and at study participation was 37 years (range: 11–72); mean length of follow-up was 15 years (range: 10–28). Primary diagnoses included AML (28%), ALL (17%), CML (17%), NHL (11%), aplastic anemia (11%), HL (7%), and other diagnoses (9%). Stem cell graft was autologous (27%); allogeneic related (65%) and unrelated donor (8%); 72% of the patients received TBI-based conditioning. At least one chronic health condition was reported by 74% of the HCT survivors, compared with 29% of siblings (p<0.001); 25% of the survivors reported severe/life-threatening conditions compared to only 8% of the siblings (p<0.001). Commonly reported severe/life-threatening chronic health conditions included myocardial infarction, stroke, blindness, diabetes, musculoskeletal problems, and subsequent malignancies. As shown in Figure 1A, the 15-year cumulative incidence of any chronic health condition (grades 1–5) was 71% (95% CI, 67–75%), and of severe-life-threatening conditions or death was 40% (95% CI, 33–47%). HCT survivors were 5.6 times as likely to develop a severe/life-threatening condition (95% CI, 3.7–8.6), compared with age- and sex-matched siblings. The cumulative incidence of severe/life-threatening conditions did not differ by type of HCT (p=0.79, Figure 1B). Using BSI, we evaluated somatic distress, anxiety, and depression among HCT survivors and their siblings. While the prevalence of anxiety and depression were comparable between survivors and siblings, HCT survivors were 2.7 times more likely to report somatic distress (p<0.001). Among survivors, female gender (OR=3.6, 95% CI, 1.4–9.0), low household income (<$20,000 OR=4.4, 95% CI, 1.1–17.2), and poor self-rated health status (OR=10.6, 95% CI, 4.0–27.9) were associated with increased risk for somatic distress. Fortunately, 90% of HCT survivors carried health insurance coverage, because a high proportion needed ongoing specialized medical care; 69% of the HCT survivors reported cancer/HCT-related visits at an average of 15 years after HCT. Conclusions: The burden of long-term physical and emotional morbidity borne by 10+ year HCT survivors is substantial, resulting in a high utilization of specialized healthcare. Patients, families and healthcare providers need to be made aware of the high burden, such that they can plan for post-HCT care, even many years after HCT. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 553-553
Author(s):  
Saro Armenian ◽  
Can-Lan Sun ◽  
Mukta Arora ◽  
K. Scott Baker ◽  
Liton Francisco ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction HCT is frequently offered as a curative option for children with benign and malignant conditions. Improvement in HCT strategies have increased survival by approximately 10% per decade. Adult HCT survivors are at increased risk for chronic health conditions (Sun, Blood 2010), and premature death (Bhatia, Blood 2007; 2005). The magnitude of risk of these chronic health conditions and of premature death in childhood HCT survivors is not known. Methods Participants were drawn from the BMTSS, and included patients undergoing HCT between 1976 and 1998 at City of Hope or University of Minnesota. Participants were ≤21 years of age at HCT and were ≥2 yrs from myeloablative HCT. Participants completed a questionnaire addressing the diagnosis of physical health conditions (endocrinopathies, central nervous system compromise, cardiopulmonary dysfunction, gastrointestinal sequelae, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and subsequent malignancies), chronic GvHD (cGVHD), and sociodemographics. Chronic physical health conditions were graded using CTCAE v 3.0 (grade 1-5, ranging from mild to death due to chronic health condition). Relative risk (RR) regression was used to identify risk of health conditions and 95% confidence interval (CI). Information on vital status and cause of death was obtained from medical records, National Death Index, and Social Security Death Index, and compared with age-, sex-and calendar-specific mortality of the US general population (standardized mortality ratio [SMR]). Results The current study included 317 BMTSS participants. Median age at HCT was 7.9 yrs, and at study participation was 19.9 yrs; time from HCT was 10.3 yrs; 42% were female, 86.7% were non-Hispanic white, and 79% underwent allogeneic HCT. The most frequent indications for HCT included AML (27%), ALL (21%), SAA (13%), lymphoma (6%), and CML (5%). Total body irradiation (TBI) was used in 61% of 2 year survivors, and cGvHD was reported in 26%. Health Conditions: The cumulative incidence of a chronic health condition (grade 1-5) was 56% (95% CI: 51%-60%) at 15 years after HCT, with a cumulative incidence of 25% (95% CI: 20%-30%) for severe/life-threatening or fatal condition (grade 3-5, Figure). The highest incidence of grade 3-5 conditions was in allogeneic HCT recipients with cGvHD (32% at 15 years, 95% CI: 20%-44%; Figure). Risk Factors: After adjustment for age at HCT, follow-up, ethnicity/race, diagnosis, relapse risk at HCT, and treatment era, female participants were 1.2 (1.0-1.4, p=0.02) times more likely to report a chronic health condition, and 1.6 (1.1-2.4, p=0.01) times more likely to report a severe/life-threatening/fatal condition. Exposure to TBI was associated with a 1.3-fold (1.0-1.5, p=0.02) risk of a chronic health condition, and a 2.6-fold (1.4-4.91, p=0.003) risk of a severe/life-threatening/fatal condition compared to chemotherapy-only conditioning. Among allogeneic HCT recipients, cGvHD was associated with a 2.0-fold (1.2-3.2, p<0.01) risk of severe/life-threatening/fatal conditions when compared to survivors without cGvHD. Healthcare utilization: 92% of the survivors carried health insurance and 68% had been seen at their transplant center within the past 2 yrs. Late mortality: Overall survival in 2 year survivors was 80% at 10 years (68% autologous, 83% allogeneic, p<0.01). The primary cause of death included primary disease (61%), secondary cancer (8%), cGvHD (6%), cardiopulmonary compromise (5%), and other causes (21%). The cohort was at a 22-fold (SMR 22.0, 18.9-25.5, p<0.01) increased risk of premature death compared to age-and sex-matched general population. Female participants, those treated with TBI, and autologous HCT survivors had the highest risk of premature death (Table). Conclusions Childhood HCT survivors carry a substantial burden of morbidity, years following completion of therapy, providing clear evidence for their close monitoring in a specialized setting targeting these high risk complications. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


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