Korean J Hosp Palliat Care.  2015 Jun;18(2):148-155. 10.14475/kjhpc.2015.18.2.148.

Effects of Granting Wish to Children with Life-threatening Conditions on Adjustment to Disease with a Focus on the Mediating Effects of Resilience and Stress Caused by Diseases

• Lee KJ
• Choi KI

• KMID: 2305264
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14475/kjhpc.2015.18.2.148

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to examine how wish granting influences children with life-threatening medical conditions when it comes to their adaptation to disease with a focus on the mediating effect of resilience and stress caused by disease.
METHODS
From January 2, 2015 through January 12, 2015, a survey was conducted on 292 children with life-threatening diseases whose wishes were granted through Make-A-Wish Korea. The data were collected using the impact of a wish scale, the Children's Adjustment to Cancer Inventory, the Childhood Cancer Stressor Inventory, and the resilience scale in children with chronic illness. The data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 20.0 and Amos 21.0.
RESULTS
Satisfaction with the wish granting program enhances resilience, and resilience affects stress caused by medical conditions as well as adaptation to disease. Also, stress caused by medical conditions influences adaptation to disease.
CONCLUSION
Wish granting is effective in both facilitating chronically ill children to adjust to disease and reduce their stress from disease. Thus, children with life-threatening medical conditions could be assisted or motivated to adjust to disease by improving satisfaction achieved by wish granting.

Keyword

Child; Child welfare; Psychological adaptation; Social adjustment; Psychological resilience; Psychological stress; Physiological stress

MeSH Terms

Adaptation, Psychological
Child Welfare
Child*
Chronic Disease
Financing, Organized*
Humans
Korea
Negotiating*
Resilience, Psychological
Social Adjustment
Stress, Physiological
Stress, Psychological