Review article
Family and acute disease
Jasna Grković
; Clinics for psychiatry, CHC Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
Acute illness of a family member represents an important stressful event for the
whole family. Usually, the family confronted with a sudden illness, cannot adequatly cope
with new demands for change in functioning. No matter which acute illness or injuries are
involved – heart attack, stroke or traffic accident, sudden illness is an acute life event associated
with the termination of the usual course of everyday life within the family (Holmes –
Rahe Scale of stressfull events puts the injury or disease to sixth place scoring stressfulness).
Stress due to illness of a family member always is the succesor of the previous family life experiences
and its history of driving changes, as well as the meaning of illness which family
adds to new stressors. The fact that one family member became ill, changes the whole current
family situation. Serious physical illness is often complicated by unpleasent emotion of
all family members – anxiety, depression, adaptive difficulties and disorientation, as well as
with a change in redistribution of roles that occurs within the family. It is actually a series of
stresses that can cause psychological and physiological responses in most family members.
Each family will react according to their specific resources. Coping mechanisms are various
– from active coping, distancing, getting social support and taking responsability to avoidance
or denial of the problem. Doctors who treat patients directly, are the most important
in providing information to family members, reducing their anxieties and in such way helping
them to overcome the unsafe and shaken family situation.
Keywords
acute disease; coping strategies; family
Hrčak ID:
59251
URI
Publication date:
13.9.2010.
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