Strategies for the adoption of dependent relatives in the case of an abnormal family crisis with severe diseases of children

Aim. To identify the features of strategies which help to overcome codependent relatives’ abnormal family crisis who has children with serious illnesses, as well as to analyze the impact of crisis periods on emotional state, family relationships and quality of life.
Methodology. The study is empirical in its nature, it is based on a sample of 50 codependent relatives who have children with chronic diseases (mostly mothers, with an average age of 42.1 years). Standardized methods were used, such as the questionnaire “Coping strategies” (R. Lazarus, S. Folkman, adaptation by E. V Kuznetsova), the scale “Social support” (V. V. Mikhailova). Statistical processing included correlation analysis (to identify the relationship between coping strategies and the level of support), variance analysis (ANOVA (Analysis of variation) – to compare the effectiveness of strategies between groups), factor analysis (to identify key factors in overcoming the crisis). Descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U-test for intergroup differences were used. The IBM SPSS Statistics package (version 26.0) was used for statistical data processing.
Results: The study revealed that the most acute crises occur when the family face diagnoses (100% of families, M=4.8), periods of hospitalization of the child (88%), and relapses of the disease (56%). In acute phases, shock, anxiety, and depression prevail; in chronic phases, isolation, guilt, and apathy prevail. The search for social support was recognized as the most effective strategy (M=4.4, SD=0.6), an active position and positive reflection also showed high effectiveness. The correlation between the level of social support and the effectiveness of coping strategies is r=0.75, p<0.001. Families with low support and passive strategies show higher levels of stress, emotional burnout, and decreased quality of life (M=2.9, SD=0.8). The factor analysis identified two clusters of crises: acute medical (diagnosis, relapse, hospitalization) and social adaptation (school, growing up, isolation). Significant differences by gender have been established: mothers are more likely to use active and educational strategies; fathers are more likely to use passive ones.
Research implications. The theoretical significance of the work consists in the comprehensive analysis of strategies for overcoming the abnormal family crisis in codependent relatives, as well as in clarifying the role of social support and internal resources of the family in conditions of prolonged stress. The practical significance lies in considering and expanding the understanding of psychological processes in abnormal family crises and identifying strategies for effective socio-psychological support for codependent relatives. The results can be used by specialists to increase the resilience of families in chronic crisis and to develop educational and therapeutic support programs.

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