Dynamics of stress level and changing of representation of the disease in adolescents with tumors of the musculoskeletal system and their mothers
A serious disease of the child, requiring surgery, is a high-intensity stressor for both the child and the whole family. The theoretical basis of the study was the position of the leading role of the mother in the interaction of the child with the outside world. The approach used involves a study in the context of the dyadic relationship between mother and child. The article analyzes the dynamics of the level of stress and representations of the disease before and after surgery for the removal of benign bone tumors in adolescents. The study involved adolescents aged 11 to 17 years, who are in a medical institution during planned surgery, as well as their mothers, who are with them in the hospital. The dynamics of perceived stress in adolescents and their mothers is shown. Reduction of stress levels after surgery is more pronounced in adolescents. Mothers tension caused by stress, not reduced after the surgery, however, diminishes the need to counteracting the stress. At the same time, the presence of social support in the mother's life and the degree of satisfaction with it is considered as an important condition that mediates the mother's reaction to a stressful event. It is shown that a high degree of satisfaction with social support in the mother helps to reduce the level of stress in adolescents in the postoperative period. The mothers and adolescents representations of the disease and their dynamics before and after surgery are described. There are differences in the mothers representation of the disease of the child depending on the satisfaction of social support received by her: mothers, satisfied with the support of their surroundings, relate their emotional reactions to the disease of the child to a greater extent than mothers with a low level of social support.