The Pain Diary

Helping Parents to Help Their Teens Cope with Sickle Cell Disease

Destiny Nicole Wolfe

Delta State University

Sickle Cell Disease is known for being a disorder that effects the red blood cells, causing them to have low oxygen levels and forming sickle shaped blood cells. In order for a child to have sickle cell disease both parents must be carriers, but if only one parent has the trait, the child will only be a carrier for Sickle Cell Barakat, et. al, (2007). The most well-known fact with this disease would be the pain that comes with having Sickle cell disease Barakat, et. al, (2007). Many parents have no idea about the things, causing pain and many other issues that come with having this disease. The most commonly affected population

The Pain Diary is a questionnaire consisting of questions dealing with pain and its interference with their ability to live life normally. The method used in this article to conduct the research consisted of fifty-two adolescence that has sickle cell disease. The children involved were between twelve and eighteen years of age. The research was conducted on children who were patients at the East Coast Children Hospital. They could not have any siblings that participated in the experiment. The children could only live less than sixty miles outside of the hospital, due to home-based visits that would take place during the process. The sessions lasted for close to two hours, and the patients had the right to choose whether they wanted to be evaluated in their homes or at the clinic. The material needed were paper and pencil for patients to participate in the questionnaire by writing out their answers. After receiving the answers for the questionnaire it was found that pains interference with living led to negative thinking, and the percentage of days with pain significantly led to depression. People who do not learn to cope with things usually end up in distress, but those who does cope turns out to have less affecting symptoms (Barakat. al,

al, (2007), studies found that the effects of sickle cell disease can have a huge effect on the patients daily activities. Many patients have to rearrange their entire lives whenever health issues arrive. Sickle cell disease causes there to be higher risks of health related issues. The levels of pain are higher for teens than they are for younger children Barakat, et. al, (2007). In 2006, Barakat found that most often patients with the disease do not get to enjoy life as much as a child with no chronic illnesses. Their parents have to make sure that they are drinking enough liquids to keep themselves hydrated, since their oxygen levels in their blood are always low. Children with sickle cell disease may find it difficult to adapt psychosocially, and frequently are shown to have symptoms of depression and anxiety (Barakat, et. al,