Chronic illness

This article uses a general framework derived from family stress theory to provide overview of the demands and strains confronting the families of children and adolescents with chronic illnesses. This framework takes account of the relation between the potential stressors confronting such families, the moderating and intermediate processes responsible for how these stressors impact on the family, and psychosocial adjustment. This makes it possible to gain information on how well both the family and the chronically ill child or adolescent succeed in coping with the demands and strains imposed on them.