Chronic Childhood Disorder-Promoting Patterns of Adjustment

Both society and physicians are increasingly aware of the importance of chronic illnesses on childhood development. This may be due to an increase in the number of children with chronic illnesses now surviving because of modern medical techniques, but it may also be due to a decline in the acute illnesses of childhood. Physicians, particularly pediatricians, are therefore being called on in increasing numbers to deal with children who have chronic illnesses. This book was written by a pediatrician and a child psychiatrist, with the purpose of providing a critical review of current knowledge about psychosocial problems associated with chronic disease in children, as well as providing a practical approach to the assessment of these children and their management. The following areas are covered in the book: (1) adjustment; (2) the assessment of adjustment by various techniques; (3) the psychological effect of a long-term illness on the individual; (4) the