Family coping: Living with the child affected by chronic disease

Objective: to identify the main difficulties of families/caregivers of coping with children's chronic condition.

Method: descriptive and exploratory study with qualitative approach, conducted with 22 caregivers of children affected by chronic diseases living in municipalities of the rural arid zone of Pernambuco State. Data were produced through semi-structured individual interviews and analyzed with the content analysis technique.

Results: the main difficulties faced by caregivers were related to changes in routine imposed by the disease and include increased attention to the child and the caregiver burden. To help in coping with the situation and keeping the hope for the future, caregivers rely on social support, especially from the family.

Conclusion: it is essential to know the difficulties experienced by caregivers in order to create strategies that help in coping with the chronic condition in childhood.