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Lecture notes Acute Care (SHN2004)
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Psychological responses to acute illness
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SHN2004 (Acute Care) – Psychological Responses to Acute IllnessPsychological Responses to Acute Illness
Introduction
Acute illness is a disruptive event which can lead to long term consequences for the
individual (Kings Fund 2010):
o Acute minor illness (self limiting)
E.g. Bronchiolitis, Chicken Pox
o Acute major illness (self limiting or requiring treatment)
E.g. Cystic Fibrosis, Asthma
o Acute of presentation of major illness chronic condition (acute exacerbation)
o Acute presentation of a new long term condition (chronic illness)
Responses and coping will vary cross the lifespan
o Children do not experience illness in isolation and experience things differently to
how an adult would in the same/similar circumstances
o Also their responses will vary depending on their age and their previous experience
of being ill
Developmental continuum
Mirrors cognitive development
Previous experiences of health care important
o Not just what they have personally experienced but also images of medical settings
they have been exposed to via the media (images, news reports, television
programmes)
Cultural component must be considered
Enables effective, culturally and developmentally appropriate care to be delivered
Children do not experience illness in isolation and experience things differently to how an
adult would in the same/similar circumstances
Not much in the literature on how children actually deal with and live with an acute
condition
Aims and Outcomes
Aim:
o To enable the student to explore CYP psychological responses to acute illnesses
Outcomes – The student will be able to:
o Discuss the effects of acute illness
o Explore the locus of control
o Discuss CYP psychological response to acute illness
Why is this important to understand?
Understand : child’s perspective, interpretation of events, children’s fears, their language,
coping mechanisms
Tailor your language to their needs
Explanations of illness tailored to cognitive level
Enable coping in stressful situations
Provide advice/guidance to families
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, SHN2004 (Acute Care) – Psychological Responses to Acute Illness
Facilitate family’s understanding of child’s perspective
Community role – educational perspective.
Effects of illness depend on
CYP: Cognitive level understanding, cultural expectations, information, previous experiences
Knowledge and understanding of the problem, information and teaching, parental
disclosure, implications of the problem, illness, surgery
HCP: Knowledge of children's understanding and development, knowledge of the issue, the
impact and effects of illness.
Work: culture of the organisation and environment – child oriented, centred and family
focused?
Holistic vs medical model.
How do HCP interact with CYP and families?
Need to be thinking of who the person is providing the medical care and the area in which it
is being carried out – e.g. has a child been rushed to Accident and Emergency (ultimately an
adult focused area)
Responses in CYP
What responses would you observe in a CYP with an acute illness?
o Emotional responses:
Despair, anguish, fear, depression, anxiety, withdrawal from engaging
How might the CYP respond to acute illness?
o Fear – e.g. scared to engage in normal activity in case it makes the situation worse;
fear of pieces of equipment (children aren’t familiar with things that you are dealing
with day in day out).
o Regression – particularly in younger age groups where they are looking for more
support from care givers
Responses to Acute Illness
Control and Independence – loss leads to dependence
o Personal control and the effects of illness and hospitalisation
Rotter (1976) developed the Health Locus of Control (HLC)
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