10Vida: A Mental and Physical Health Intervention for Chronically Ill Adolescents and Their Caregivers in the Hospital Setting: An Open Study

Mapping the research landscape of mHealth and technology in pediatric chronic illness: a bibliometric study

Introduction

The presence of a chronic disease during adolescence has been linked to an increased risk of developing psychosocial problems and a greater likelihood of experiencing difficulties during the transition to adulthood. In this regard, research has been conducted on the development of applications or programs based on new technologies to address the potential complications associated with self-management and coping with chronic diseases in adolescents.

Method

The objective of the present study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the existing literature on the use of new technologies to enhance self-management and coping with chronic diseases during adolescence. This four-staged bibliometric analysis was conducted using the following software programs: HisCite, Bibexcel, Pajek, and VOSviewer. The programs were utilized for the extraction of data and the subsequent construction of graphs, which facilitate the visualization of existing networks between disparate authors, institutions, and terms.

Results

The screening results shortlisted a total of 157 articles from an initial 207. The further analysis of these records indicated that the United States was the most prominent nation in terms of scientific output in the domain of digital applications designed to enhance self-management and coping in chronic diseases during adolescence.

Discussion

The digital intervention in this specific population is primarily associated with the development of the mHealth app, along with the physical and psychological consequences that illness can entail. This research can serve as a reference for future bibliometric studies or scientific investigations in this field.

Emotional Contagion Among Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) and Their Primary Caregivers: Benefits of Psychological Support for Family Systems in Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

T1DM is a significant chronic condition that necessitates regular medical monitoring, dietary and physical activity supervision, and daily blood glucose monitoring and insulin therapy. The management of this disease and the transition to adolescence often have a significant psychosocial impact on the individual and their family.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this correlational study was to examine the reciprocal influence between adolescents and their caregivers, with a particular focus on the beneficial effect of receiving psychological support sessions from family members and adolescents with T1DM in a pilot study.

METHODS

An indicator variable was developed to facilitate an analysis of changes occurring prior to, as well as following, the administration of the treatment in question. Family caregivers received two therapy sessions, and we analyzed their perceived caregiver stress. Adolescents had five sessions, and the reduction in emotional distress was studied in them.

RESULTS

The sample comprised 15 adolescent-family caregiver dyads. All parents were mothers of adolescents, with a mean age of 47.67 and 13.47 years, respectively. Descriptive statistics and Spearman correlations were conducted. Following the completion of the psychological counseling sessions, the data revealed a significant positive correlation between the perceived reduction in global stress experienced by the caregiver and the adolescent's emotional distress, with correlation coefficients of 0.74 and 0.61, respectively. Furthermore, a positive relationship was observed between the reduction in existing difficulties in family role adjustment and the reduction in emotional distress among diabetic youth, with correlation coefficients of 0.72 and 0.57. The frequency of emotional distress of the caregiver also correlated with adolescent emotional distress, with a coefficient of 0.60.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study provide evidence for the circularity of family systems change. A positive emotional contagion effect is observed in the improvements in stress and emotional distress experienced during adolescence and in the family's adjustment to T1DM, as reported by caregivers and their children who received psychological support sessions.

The Predictive Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation of Adolescents with Chronic Disease and Their Parents in Adolescents' Quality of Life: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to investigate cognitive emotion regulation in adolescents with chronic illness and their parents.

METHODS

Eighty-five young people (mean = 15.86 years, standard deviation = ± 1.42, girls 65.88%) with chronic illnesses (inflammatory bowel disease n = 40 or type 1 diabetes n = 45), and their parents (mean = 46.06 years, 87.06% mother) completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) for themselves and the Inventory of Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents (ILC) questionnaire adolescent and parent version. We conducted two hierarchical linear regression analyses with "enter" method. The CERQ scales and the diagnosis of chronic disease were chosen as independent variables, and the total ILC score in the first analysis and the ILC proxy score in the second analysis were chosen as dependent variables.

RESULTS

Among adolescents, cognitive emotion regulation strategies such as self-blame, positive reappraisal, and catastrophizing have been proven to be predictors of their own quality of life; however, parental self-blame was also found to be a predictor of adolescents' quality of life. Parental rumination and positive refocusing have been shown to be predictors of how parents rate their child's quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study sheds light on cognitive emotion regulation strategies in adolescents with chronic illness and their parents that have a significant impact on the development of young people's quality of life.