THE CHRONICALLY ILL CHILD AND FAMILY STRESS - FAMILY DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVES ON CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

The authors take a developmental and family systems perspective in reviewing research on the family stressors inherent in caring for a child with a chronic disease. Cystic fibrosis, a genetically transmitted and life-shortening disorder, exemplifies a chronic disease that places demands on the family that are both unique and shared with other prolonged illnesses. The authors chronicle the interaction of the debilitating features of this disease and its demanding treatment regimen with family dynamics from the point of initial diagnosis to the terminal stages.