AN INTERDISCIPLINARY GROUP FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH HEMANGIOMAS

Parents are shocked by the unexpected appearance and growth of hemangi omas, the most common benign tumors of childhood, yet parents' psychos ocial needs are largely ignored. A psychoeducational/self-help pilot g roup for parents is described in this article. The Mental Health Inven tory and a 44-item questionnaire were used to gather pertinent biopsyc hosocial data. Parents were more distressed and had less of a sense of well-being than the general population. Medical complications were si gnificantly associated with the couple's distress (P < 0.05). Parental perception of hemangiomal surface area or site was not correlated wit h parental distress. Therapists clinically assessed parental distress, presented coping strategies for parents and families, and discussed m edical information about hemangiomas and normal childhood development.