Psychological features of children and adolescents in their perception of the disease at different stages of its course
The article is devoted to the analysis of the problem of a difficult life situation associated with a disease that threatens the child's life. The specifics of this situation are determined by the fact that, unlike other life catastrophes, it primarily affects the scope of individual personal and family values, as well as the relationship with the child, as an object of high-value affection, and refers to the turning points of the life. Factors that exhaust this situation are under review in the article. The parameters influencing the formation of an internal aspect of a child’s disease are studied. The problem of the correlation of age and psychological characteristics of children and teenagers is analyzed through the prism of their perception of their own illness and their readiness to cooperate with medical personnel and inner circle at each of the stages of the medical process, starting from the moment of diagnosis. The peculiarities of interaction with children and teenagers under conditions of hospitalization are considered: from a newborn to the age of 2 years, from 2 to 7 years, from 7 to 12 years, from 12 years and older. It is noted that the children’s attitude to the disease, as well as to other important components of their life, also depends on the emotional assessment of significant people. This attitude is largely unconscious and does not include the logical analysis which is inherent in an adult. A special role is given to the problem of informing children about the changes taking place with them in connection with the disease, both at the current time and in the distant future. It is discussed the need to develop such a form of support which can give the child more opportunities to accept the current situation that separates him from his past way of life. (For citation: Alexandrova OV, Tkachenko AE, Kushnareva IV. Psychological features of children and adolescents in their perception of the disease at different stages of its course. Pediatrician (St. Petersburg). 2018;9(3):124-127. doi: 10.17816/PED93124-127).