Chronic illnesses in children and their effects on familiesApproximately 10 to 15% of children under the age of 18 suffer from an illness or physical condition Chronic disease and the number of children Chronic diseases have increased significantly in recent decades. It is clear that chronic illnesses in children have an immense impact on the families of these children. There are many psychological consequences for patients, their siblings and parents. First, we begin by briefly examining other consequences beyond the symptoms of their illnesses that patients face. Sean Phipps' research found a high frequency of a repressive adaptive style in children. with cancer. To determine whether repressive coping in the population is premorbid or reactive, adaptive styles were considered in children with cancer at diagnosis and 6 months and 1 year after diagnosis. Contrast groups included healthy children and children with serious chronic illnesses. At diagnosis, children with chronic illnesses had similar levels of repressive adaptive style to the cancer group. These results suggest a shift towards repression in response to the diagnosis of chronic illnesses, which is then held constant over time. The results also showed the distress patients felt due to their illness. It stands to reason that patients will certainly experience distress and also sometimes repression over their own condition, but what is not so obvious is the effect this would have on their siblings. Barbara Leonard conducted a 1983 study of 77 healthy siblings of siblings with... ... middle of paper ...... 44, no. 11B, 3360. · Silver, Ellen-Johnson; Westbrook,-Lauren-E; Stein,-Ruth-EK, (1998). Relationship between parental psychological distress and the consequences of chronic health problems in children. Journal-of-Pediatric-Psychology, Vol 23(1): 5-15. · Roos,-Susan-Gail, (1985). Chronic grief: a loss of life. Dissertation-Abstracts-International-Section-A: -Humanities-and-Social-Sciences.1995 May; Vol 55(11-A): 3645.· Stuber,-Margaret-L, (1996). Psychiatric sequelae in seriously ill children and their families. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, September 1996; Vol 19(3): 481-493. · Tak,-Youngran, (1995). Family stress, perceived social support and adaptation of the family who have a child with a chronic illness. Dissertation-Abstracts-International: -Section-B: -The-Sciences-and-Engineering.1995 Apr; Flight 55 (10-B)): 4624.