Paediatric Illness: The Role of Social Context in Childhood Cancer
Citation
Connolly, J. (2008) Paediatric Illness: The Role of Social Context in Childhood Cancer, The Irish Psychologist, vol. 34, , pp. 267-270,
Abstract
The impact and interaction of paediatric
illness on child, family and the
broader social context represent key
areas of concern for both researcher
and practitioner. The prevalence
of paediatric chronic illness has
been estimated at as high as 19%
(Newacheck & Stoddard, 1994). In
the past many paediatric illnesses were
identified, treated, and conceptualised
within a biomedical context which left
little room for the examination of how
other factors such as social context may
contribute. This was, in part, due to the
dominance of the biomedical model
(Ogden, 2004) but also due to the
fact that, historically, many paediatric
illnesses had survival rates as low as
26% (Patenaude & Kupst, 2005). This
resulted in a tendency to focus on
mortality and a reduction in attention
to psychosocial factors (Eiser, 1994).
Paediatric cancer serves as a useful
example of this.