Feeling Frequently Depressed Seeing Other Children Without Sickle Cell Disease: An Emotional Experience Of Family Caregivers Of Children Living With Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

The ability of family caregivers (FCs) to maintain emotional stability when providing care for their Children Living with Sickle Cell Disease (CLwSCD) remains a global concern. Therefore, this study examined the perception of FCs of CLwSCD in Ibadan, Nigeria. The qualitative and quantitative mixed design was employed, while emotional adjustment measuring and interviews were used to collect information from a total of 117 participants. The findings revealed that the FCs of CLwSCD perceived their emotional adjustment to be moderate, while a large percentage agreed that the state of health of their children is frequently depressive. Conversely, apart from the theoretical implication of these findings which provides a springboard for future studies, social service practitioners should adopt psycho-social interventions that could buffer the emotional adjustment state of FCs of people with chronic diseases.