Psychosocial aspects for teenagers and young adults with cystic fibrosis

Abstract

Cystic Fibrosis, or commonly called CF, has long been known as a childhood disease. Advances in medical technology have prolonged the lives of individuals living with CF. With prolonged life expectancy, new issues are arising that have not been addressed, especially psychosocial concerns. Hanock Livneh and Richard Antonak describe psychosocial adaptation to disability as occurring through a gradual process of assimilation of changes in one’s body, body image, ego, self-concept, and person-environment interactions. The current study examined psychosocial adaptation among teenagers and young adults with CF. Psychosocial adaptation to CF was measured among 72 teenagers and young adults age 13 to 22 and over at the University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinic Pediatric Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Adaptation to CF was measured using an adapted version of Hanock Livneh and Richard Antonak’s 1989 survey, Reactions to Disability and Impairment Inventory (RIDI). Questions were also developed by the researcher to examine participants’ struggles with CF. Participants were evaluated according to eight levels of functioning (anxiety, shock, denial, depression, externalized hostility, internalized anger, adjustment and acknowledgement). Results indicated that females with CF experienced higher levels of shock compared to males. Individuals with CF who have a good relationship with their siblings showed higher levels of adjustment towards CF. As individuals grow older they have higher levels of acknowledgement. Questions asked by the researcher illustrated that individuals with CF showed an overall positive attitude when dealing with their disability.