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Parents' experience when their child has chronic abdominal pain: a qualitative study in Norway.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:Functional abdominal pain occurs frequently in children and adolescents. It is an exclusion diagnosis; somatic diseases have to be ruled out. However little explanation is given for why the child is experiencing pain. The aim was to explore the experiences of parents of children with chronic abdominal pain discharged from hospital without a somatic explanation. DESIGN:The study has a qualitative design. The open questions concerned pain experiences and management. Interviews were conducted at the hospital, at the parents' workplace or in their homes, audiotape recorded and transcribed. A descriptive content analysis was used to analyse the transcribed text. SETTING:Parents of children referred from general practice located in urban and rural areas in two municipals in Norway. PARTICIPANTS:Fourteen parents of children with functional abdominal pain aged 5-15 years. RESULTS:Fourteen parents participated. Some explained that their child's disability glued the parents together on a common project to help the child. Other parents could tell that siblings got less attention and complained about too much fuss during pain. Parents wished for diagnosis that could be treated efficiently. Some were still anxious that an undetected condition triggered pain. They prompted their doctor to do further examinations. However, some parents knew that social factors could inflict pain and were concerned that their child was unable to distinguish sensations like anxiety and 'butterfly' tensions from physical pain. The parents and children needed professional guidance on how to manage the pain . CONCLUSION:The doctor's consultation should not end at the diagnosis of functional abdominal pain. Doctors may help these families further by focusing on pain management strategies.

SUBMITTER: Brodwall A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5950638 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Parents' experience when their child has chronic abdominal pain: a qualitative study in Norway.

Brodwall Anne A Glavin Kari K Lagerløv Per P

BMJ open 20180510 5

<h4>Objective</h4>Functional abdominal pain occurs frequently in children and adolescents. It is an exclusion diagnosis; somatic diseases have to be ruled out. However little explanation is given for why the child is experiencing pain. The aim was to explore the experiences of parents of children with chronic abdominal pain discharged from hospital without a somatic explanation.<h4>Design</h4>The study has a qualitative design. The open questions concerned pain experiences and management. Interv ...[more]

PMID: 29748345

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Project description:BackgroundTo date, almost no research on the psychosocial implications of albinism has been conducted in France and an exploration of albinism-related experiences could be beneficial, in order to better understand this condition. The aim of this study was to examine how French people with albinism and their parents live with and adapt to this condition in all the areas of their lives.MethodsSemi-structured phone interviews were conducted with 9 parent-child dyads, each participating separately. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling, thanks to the combined efforts of a patient association (Genespoir) and professionals from the partner medical referral centers involved in the project. Dyads in which the individual with albinism had any comorbidity were excluded. The interviews were then transcribed and subjected to in-depth thematic analysis. Two codebooks were constructed in a mirrored process: one for people with albinism; the other for their parents. They were finally merged at the end of the coding step.ResultsFour main categories were identified: personal perceptions and social representations of albinism, difficulties and obstacles encountered by people with albinism, resources and facilitators, and the importance of parent-child functioning. The results indicated that experiences of stigmatization during childhood and adolescence are common and that people with albinism face challenges in adapting to certain obstacles related to their visual impairments (VI) (e.g., inability to drive a car; eye strain...). Parents emerged as one, if not as the main, source of support for people with albinism throughout their development. Although external support systems exist to assist them in various aspects of their lives, some of them primarily rely on their own personal resources to cope.ConclusionsThis research highlights the importance of a systemic and transdisciplinary approach to make sure families receive the support that best meets their needs.

Project description:BackgroundChronic low back pain (cLBP) is a complex condition that is physically and psychologically debilitating, with vulnerable populations experiencing more severe outcomes. Physical therapy (PT) includes evidence-based treatments that can reduce disability, however the experience of PT can vary amongst different populations. Empirical evidence is largely based on majority samples that are predominantly white with high educational attainment. Little is known regarding how people from vulnerable groups (e.g. low income and racial minority) experience physical therapy treatment for low back pain.ObjectiveTo describe the experience of physical therapy in a predominantly low-income and minority population with cLBP.MethodsThis qualitative study was embedded within a randomized controlled trial for patients with cLBP in urban, underserved communities. We used a convenience sample to interview 12 participants from the 102 who participated in the PT arm of the trial and then performed thematic analysis to describe their experience.ResultsThree major themes emerged: 1) Empowerment through education and exercise; 2) Interconnectedness to providers and other patients; and 3) Improvements in pain, body mechanics, and mood. Divergent cases were few however centered around a lack of improvement in pain or an absence of connection with the therapist. Within the first theme a prevailing sub-theme emerged that aligned with Bandura's theory of self-efficacy: 1) Mastery of experience; 2) Verbal persuasion; 3) Vicarious experience; and 4) Physiological state.ConclusionsOur participants' insight highlighted the value of cognitive-emotional and interpersonal dimensions of PT. These may be particularly important components of PT in populations that have experienced systemic distrust in providers and disparities in services. Future work could use Bandura's model of self-efficacy to build a PT intervention comprised of fear-based movement exercises, interconnectedness, a strong therapeutic alliance, and mindfulness techniques.

Project description:BackgroundPrior to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) frequently reported high levels of stress, uncertainty, and decreased parenting confidence. Early research has demonstrated that parents have had less access to their infants in the hospital due to restrictions on parental presence secondary to the pandemic. It is unknown how parents have perceived their experiences in the NICU since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of parents who had an infant in the NICU in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic to inform healthcare providers and policy makers for future development of policies and care planning.MethodsThe study design was a qualitative description of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents' experiences of having an infant in the NICU. Free-text responses to open-ended questions were collected as part of a multi-method study of parents' experiences of the NICU during the first six months of the pandemic. Participants from the United States were recruited using social media platforms between the months of May and July of 2020. Data were analyzed using a reflexive thematic approach.FindingsFree-text responses came from 169 parents from 38 different states in the United States. Three broad themes emerged from the analysis: (1) parents' NICU experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic were emotionally isolating and overwhelming, (2) policy changes restricting parental presence created disruptions to the family unit and limited family-centered care, and (3) interactions with NICU providers intensified or alleviated emotional distress felt by parents. A unifying theme of experiences of emotional distress attributed to COVID-19 circumstances ran through all three themes.ConclusionsParents of infants in the NICU during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced emotional struggles, feelings of isolation, lack of family-centered care, and deep disappointment with system-level decisions. Moving forward, parents need to be considered essential partners in the development of policies concerning care of and access to their infants.

Dataset Information

Parents' experience when their child has chronic abdominal pain: a qualitative study in Norway.

Publications

Parents' experience when their child has chronic abdominal pain: a qualitative study in Norway.

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