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The Effects of ChronicTerminal Illness on Family Wellbeing
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issues to be explored are: Does the stress and strain of care giving. impact family cohesion? ... Family tension, financial strain, and individual. wellbeing ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation
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Title: The Effects of ChronicTerminal Illness on Family Wellbeing
1
The Effects of Chronic/Terminal Illness on Family
Wellbeing
- Jeff BrightTerree CarterRenee MickensEmily
SchultzAmy Shaw - (Paul L. Schvaneveldt, Ph.D.
- Faculty Mentor)
Child Family Studies Weber State University
2
Introduction
- High levels of stress and difficulties are
placed on families coping with a - terminally and/or chronically ill family member.
In understanding the - impacts of terminal and/or chronic illness on the
family, four separate - areas are studied financial stress, family
cohesion, family functioning, - and psychological wellbeing. It is believed that
functioning in these four - domains is impacted in reaction to a family
member experiencing a - chronic/terminal illness.
- An important aspect of healthy family functioning
is the ability to - appropriately manage levels of cohesion and
healthy communication. A - major goal of the current study is to understand
how families react to a - family member diagnosed with a chronic/terminal
illness. The major - issues to be explored are Does the stress and
strain of care giving - impact family cohesion? How is communication and
problem solving - impacted? How do families cope financially? Is
individual wellbeing - impacted?
3
Review of Literature
- Previous research shows that the entire family
is affected as a - result of a family member experiencing a
chronic/terminal illness. - Family members tend to spend less time together,
spouses reported - they were less capable of fulfilling their role
within the family - system, and stress related to financial concerns
increased due to - increased health care costs (Smith Soliday,
2001). - Other areas of life, such as relationships with
school, work, and - friends were significantly impacted due to
caregiving tasks. Stress - and tension often increased among the family
members. Also, - financial responsibilities were especially
difficult when the ill - family member was the primary bread winner.
(Lakey, 2001) . - Other research shows that some families
initially become more - cohesive in reaction to a family member
experiencing a - chronic/terminal illness. Over time, however,
stressors may build - which lead to greater conflict and disengagement
(Qualls, 1994).
4
Hypotheses
- The level of family cohesion and closeness
- within a family prior to the diagnosis of a
family - member experiencing a chronic/terminal illness
- is associated with similar levels of cohesion
- afterwards.
- Family tension, financial strain, and individual
- wellbeing are likely to be compromised by
- caring for a family member with a
- chronic/terminal illness.
5
Methods
- Course Project
- Child Family Studies 3850 Research Methods
Course - Instructor Paul Schvaneveldt, Ph.D., CFLE
- Sample
- Participants were those with a family member
diagnosed with a chronicle/terminal illness.
Participants included Weber State University
students, Utah Hospice participants, family
members of McKay Dee Hospital patients, and
internet respondents. - 74 of the sample were female and 26 male.
- 68 of the respondents were ages 18-30, 8 ages
31-40, 13 ages 41-50, 9 ages 51-60, and 1 60
or older. - 93 were Caucasian with nearly equal percentages
in Latino, African American, and Asian American
categories. - Format
- Self-administered questionnaire
- 60 items intending to measure family reaction to
Financial stress and coping, Family cohesion,
Care giving options, Psychological wellbeing. - Participants were asked to retrospectively assess
family well-being before and after the diagnosis
to allow for a comparison of family well-being
across time.
6
Significant Correlations
- Stress related to financial obligations and
family has adequate health insurance -.401 - Feel close as a family and feeling guilty when
take time off from caregiving responsibilities
.319 - Feeling close as a family before diagnosis and
feeling close as a family after diagnosis .373 - p lt .01
7
Matched Pairs t-Tests Before and After Diagnosis
p lt .05 p lt .01 p lt .001
8
Discussion
- Psychological wellbeing
- Less Time for Self, Family Friends
- Family Functioning
- Greater Conflict After Diagnosis
- More Tension
- Family Cohesion
- Greater levels of cohesion prior to the diagnosis
was positively correlated with greater cohesion
after the diagnosis. - Financial Strain
- Adequate health insurance associated with less
financial stress
9
Conclusion
- Developing greater family cohesion prior to a
crisis is likely a key protective factor in
helping families cope with a family member with a
chronic/terminal illness. - Providing respite care and assistance to families
caring for a chronically ill family member very
important. - Families with adequate health insurance reported
fewer financial stressors.
10
National Recognition
- Winner, 2003 Outstanding
- Undergraduate Research Paper
- Awarded by the
- National Council on Family Relations
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