Parent Perspectives on Addressing Emotional Health for Children and Young Adults With Juvenile Myositis

Kaveh Ardalan, Oluwatosin Adeyemi, Dawn M. Wahezi, Anne E. Caliendo, Megan L. Curran, Jessica Neely, Susan Kim, Colleen K. Correll, Emily J. Brunner, Andrea M. Knight

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To assess parent perspectives regarding the emotional health impact of juvenile myositis (JM) on patients and families, and to assess preferences for emotional health screening and interventions. Methods: Parents of children and young adults with JM were purposively sampled for participation in focus groups at the Cure JM Foundation National Family Conference in 2018. Groups were stratified by patient age group (6–12, 13–17, and 18–21 years), and conversations were audiorecorded, transcribed verbatim, and co-coded via content analysis, with subanalysis by age group. A brief survey assessed preferences for specific emotional health interventions. Results: Forty-five parents participated in 6 focus groups. Themes emerged within 2 domains: emotional challenges, and screening and interventions. Themes for emotional challenges comprised the impact of JM on: 1) patient emotional health, particularly depression and anxiety; 2) parent emotional health characterized by sadness, grief, anger, guilt, and anxiety; and 3) family dynamics, including significant sibling distress. Subanalysis revealed similar themes across age groups, but the theme of resiliency emerged specifically for young adults. Themes for emotional health screening and interventions indicated potential issues with patient transparency, several barriers to resources, the facilitator role of rheumatology providers, and preferred intervention modalities of online and in-person resources, with survey responses most strongly supporting child/parent counseling and peer support groups. Conclusion: JM is associated with intense patient and family distress, although resiliency may emerge by young adulthood. Despite existing barriers, increasing access to counseling, peer support groups, and online resources with rheumatology facilitation may be effective intervention strategies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)18-29
Number of pages12
JournalArthritis Care and Research
Volume73
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 27 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, American College of Rheumatology

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