Issue: 2024, Vol. 29, No. 4

L. A. Zhdanova, I. E. Boboshko, A. V. Shishova, I. V. Ivanova

PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH ASPECTS OF FREQUENTLY ILL CHILDREN

Keywords

frequently ill children, health, health improvement, parent-child relationships

Abstarct

Objective – to identify psychosocial problems of frequently ill school-aged children to justify the need to include psychological correction measures in their rehabilitation program. Material and methods. The study involved 210 students aged 7–17 (103 girls and 107 boys). Depending on the frequency of acute respiratory tract infections, all children were divided into two groups: frequently ill (more than 8 times a year, n = 70) and occasionally ill (less than 8 times a year, n = 140). In order to diagnose the asthenic condition and determine the severity of individual symptoms (general asthenia, physical asthenia, decreased activity, decreased motivation and mental asthenia), a questionnaire was conducted using the subjective asthenia scale (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, MFI-20). To identify neurotic signs and the degree of their expression in children, the “Clinical Questionnaire for the Identification and Assessment of Neurotic States” (Yakhin K. K., Mendelevich D. M.) was used. In addition, an anonymous survey of the parents of all children included in the study (n = 210) was conducted using the parental attitude diagnostic test questionnaire (Stolin V. V., Varga A. Ya.). Results and discussion. Children of the frequently ill children group demonstrated more pronounced indicators of both physical and mental asthenia than episodically ill children. This group of students was characterized by vulnerable self-esteem, excessive emotional susceptibility, instability and inconsistency of feelings and desires, which easily led to the development of borderline neuropsychiatric disorders. In families of frequently ill children, violations of parent-child relationships were revealed: a low level of acceptance of their child and underestimation of his or her capabilities, a desire to infantilize him or her, and excessive parental control were noted. This contributed to a number of violations of social relationships and a decrease in the quality of life. Conclusion. The obtained results allow us to recommend the inclusion of activities in the health programs of the frequently ill children group that harmonize parentchild relationships and prevent the risk of developing borderline mental disorders in them.

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