Citation

Igler EC, Sejkora EK, Austin JE, Davies WH. J. Child Health Care 2019; ePub(ePub): 1367493519853437.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1367493519853437

PMID

31146538

Abstract

Social support is vital in helping adolescents cope following a serious illness or injury, though it is not known how their healthy peers react to potential changes in the nature of their friendships during this time. In this questionnaire-based study, emerging adults in the community indicated whether they had an experience with a friend's serious illness during adolescence and responded to structured and open-ended questions about their experience. Participants reported diminished contact with friends following diagnosis, such as decreased frequency of visits and communication. Participants most commonly cited logistical issues, such as transportation, and their friend's emotional and/or physical functioning as barriers to staying connected. Friends reported a mixture of positive and negative experiences associated with a friend's illness. The communication barriers highlighted provide a potential focus for intervention.

RESULTS suggest positive communication promotion with healthy friends may be an important path to enhance social support after a serious illness diagnosis or injury.

Language: en

Keywords

Friendship; pediatric; serious illness; social support