Abstract
Objectives
Parents of children with chronic illnesses face unique stressors that put them at risk for mental health disorders, such as anxiety, stress, and depression. In the U.S., 20% of families care for a child with a chronic health condition. Because self-compassion is a protective factor for parents against distress, this study examined the processes through which parents may become open to attending a self-compassion-based support program and acquiring self-compassion skills.
Methods
Eight parents who attended a 6-week self-compassion training were interviewed about their experiences during the program. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results
Parents were motivated to attend the program because they were open to change and trusted the program would be valuable. Learning self-compassion involved developing a kinder relationship with themselves and embracing their common humanity, which helped them recognize the existing strengths they have had to develop in order to care for their children. They also experienced greater emotional acceptance and reported learning self-compassion had impacted the quality of care they provided for their children.
Conclusions
Results demonstrate the importance of acquiring trust from potential participants and combining social support (which can reduce feelings of isolation) with evidence-based training. Findings also provide insight for future researchers to examine the mechanisms of engagement in a program and to better understand the processes through which self-compassion supports positive mental health outcomes for parents of chronically ill children.
You have requested "on-the-fly" machine translation of selected content from our databases. This functionality is provided solely for your convenience and is in no way intended to replace human translation. Show full disclaimer
Neither ProQuest nor its licensors make any representations or warranties with respect to the translations. The translations are automatically generated "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" and are not retained in our systems. PROQUEST AND ITS LICENSORS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES FOR AVAILABILITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, NON-INFRINGMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Your use of the translations is subject to all use restrictions contained in your Electronic Products License Agreement and by using the translation functionality you agree to forgo any and all claims against ProQuest or its licensors for your use of the translation functionality and any output derived there from. Hide full disclaimer
Details
1 Center for Resiliency at Dell Children’s Medical Center, Austin, USA; Dell Medical School, Department of Pediatrics, Austin, USA (GRID:grid.89336.37) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9924)
2 Purdue University, Human Development and Family Science, West Lafayette, USA (GRID:grid.169077.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 2197)
3 The University of Texas at Austin, School of Social Work, Austin, USA (GRID:grid.89336.37) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9924)
4 Center for Resiliency at Dell Children’s Medical Center, Austin, USA (GRID:grid.89336.37); Dell Medical School, Department of Pediatrics, Austin, USA (GRID:grid.89336.37) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9924)