The impact, perceptions and needs of parents of children with epidermolysis bullosa

South African Family Practice

 
 
Field Value
 
Title The impact, perceptions and needs of parents of children with epidermolysis bullosa
 
Creator Chateau, Antoinette V. Blackbeard, David Aldous, Colleen Dlova, Ncoza Shaw, Cassidy-Mae
 
Subject family medicine; dermatology; psychology epidermolysis bullosa; parents; interpretative phenomenological analysis; impact; perceptions; needs
Description Background: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare, incurable genodermatosis that presents with blistering and skin fragility. Complications can be localised or generalised, limited to the skin or have systemic effects resulting in death. Caring for a child with this painful condition can have a profound effect on the quality of life of parents and the family. There is currently no published research on the lived experience of parents caring for a child with EB in a resource-limited environment in Africa.Method: This qualitative research used interpretative phenomenological analysis with the aim of understanding the lived experiences of parents caring for children with EB. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 participants between May 2022 and October 2023. Guba’s framework of trustworthiness was used to ensure rigour.Results: Seven experiential themes with associated sub-themes were identified. The themes were (1) grappling with understanding EB, (2) the psychological experience, (3) living with the responsibility, (4) barriers to feeling supported, (5) changing relational dynamics, (6) experience of healthcare professionals and (7) parental needs.Conclusion: Parents caring for children with EB face emotional, physical, psychosocial and financial challenges. Addressing parents’ needs and concerns will go a long way in decreasing this burden. A biopsychosocial approach with an awareness of cultural context is essential for family-centred holistic EB care.Contribution: This is the first study in Africa that focussed on the lived experiences of parents caring for a child with EB.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor University of KwaZulu-Natal
Date 2024-06-06
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — qualitative research
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/safp.v66i1.5897
 
Source South African Family Practice; Vol 66, No 1 (2024): Part 3; 13 pages 2078-6204 2078-6190
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5897/8832 https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5897/8833 https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5897/8834 https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5897/8835
 
Coverage South Africa 2022-2023 gender; sex; ethnicity
Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Antoinette V. Chateau, David Blackbeard, Colleen Aldous, Ncoza Dlova, Cassidy-Mae Shaw https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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