The study aims to examine the impact of chronic illnesses on the relationships among family members. This study will focus on mental and physical chronic diseases. The research seeks to understand the trends surrounding communication, perception, and behaviors towards individuals with chronic illnesses in a family unit. Further, the study figures out interpersonal relationships among family members.
The type of illness experienced by one member of the family affects the perception of other family members about them. There has been an upsurge of increasing cases of chronic disease in the recent past. The extent of these illnesses has negatively impacted the productivity of the affected individuals. Consequently, the stigmas have been associated with this chronic illness, thereby affecting both the patients and their family members. Although there have been various campaigns and promotional health educations through the media and other forums, the stigma is still an issue .
Physical and mental illnesses present a wide range of challenges to both the patients and their families. After diagnosis, the perceptions and relationships change drastically. The family members experience readjustments in their way of life. Their actions and communication reveal these changes. In some cases, the family members show empathy to the patients and become the primary caregiver (Rosland, 2009). Upon diagnosis, most family members show great concern to the patient and support in whichever way they can to advance the process of healing and recovery. The change in behavior is informed by the need to accommodate the patient and to maintain the family fabric. However, due to chronic nature of this illness the family members are overburden by the costs, attention and the care. When this occurs, the family members begin to withdraw their support and communication become a challenge. Thus, affecting the relationship.
In this study physical and mental chronic illnesses will be assessed separately to determine their impacts on the relationships of family members upon diagnosis.
Physical chronic illness
They recur at random intervals and vary with intensity and types. Upon diagnosis, communication and relationships in the family is adversely affected. Chronic physical illness affects marital relationships. It changes the way family members act, communicate and behave. The marital bond always suffer the most due to physical inability of the patients to perform their roles. Badr and Acitelli (2005), observe that, chronically ill couples who talk frequently about their relationships exhibited stronger bonds than those who did not. This finding indicates that the family members need to be informed of the conditions and the challenges that are brought about by the physical chronic illness. The needs and the expectations of patient and their spouse should therefore, be effectively communicated. According to Berg and Upchurch (2007), collaborative communication result to positive impacts. Therefore, is imperative for the married couples to communicate their conditions to each other to keep their relationships stronger. Furthermore, family units are made stronger by their ability to communicate their expectations and willingness to support one another (Shuff and Sims 2013).
Mental Chronic illness
The relationship between patients and family members can be adversely affected by the advent of chronic mental illness in the family. Mental illness require constant care and monitoring by the family members. Depending on the intensity, social stigma is always associated with these illnesses. There are varied challenges related to mental illness. Therefore, there is need to examine communication and perceptions to understand these critical illness and the impact on family relationship.
Chronic mental illness affects marriages in diverse ways. Primarily the communication and relationships are the most affected upon diagnosis with mental illness. In addition, the fabric of support systems for the patients has direct impact on their recovery. Perry (2014), indicate that mental illness is associated with the stigma arising from the social network. Therefore, social networks can set precedent on how the family members relate with their chronically ill patients.
Effects on parent-child relationships
Mental illness affects the relationships between the parents and their children. The children develop perception of loss to their parents with chronic mental illness which in turn affect the children mental and emotional behaiviors whenever the parent is diagnosed with the chronic disease. Conversely, parents associate mental illness of their children to loss of identity and self-worth. The feelings of loss of identity always changes the communication pattern and behaviours within the family (Richardson, Cobham, McDermott, and Murray 2013). Moreover, the stigma associated with mental illness render it difficult for the family adjust to the new atmosphere created after diagnosis. The situation is worsen by the fact that grieving over mental illness is socially unacceptable in most societies. In the study conducted by Hamond and Schrodt, finding indicates that parents showing affections to their children had experienced positive improvements in their children’s mental health (2012). Van Loon et al., (2014) observes mentally ill parents affects negatively their relationship with their adolescent children.
This literature review exemplifies the correlation between chronic illness and it impact on family relationship. Critical analysis of physical and mental disorders among the family members and the impact is vital in understanding relationships and communication among families.