FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ADAPTATION OF PARENTS WITH A CHRONICALLY ILL CHILD

(.)The purpose of this paper is to describe the adaptation of parents who have a child with a chronic condition and some factors connected t o it. (.)Data were collected by a questionnaire from 189 parents who h ad a child n with a chronic condition, such as diabetes, rheumatoid ar thritis or asthma. Most (85%) of the responses were from mothers. (.)T he data were analysed using factor analysis. A four-factor model turne d out to describe best the adaptation of the parents and their coping with the care of a chronically ill child. Tno factors showed good adap tation and two poor adaptation. (.)Emotional and instrumental support n ere connected to adaptation on each of the four factors. (.)Support from health care staff and the parents' need to obtain more informatio n were not connected to adaptation as clearly as emotional and instrum ental support. (.)Parents wished for support more in families n here t he child was under nine years old than in families where the child was over nine years old.