Intervention in Chronic Pediatric Patients and Their Families.

Adolescence is a period characterized by a multitude of changes at the biopsychosocial level, all of which also implies many challenges. If the diagnosis or the presence of a chronic disease or condition (CD) is added, the adjustment of the adolescent to this period become even more difficult. The World Health Organization (WHO) (2017) defines chronic diseases (CD) as "long-lasting and usually slow-progressing diseases". Among the main child-juvenile CDs are the allergic, the endocrine; in particular, Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 (DM1) and Short stature (SS), and respiratory, such as bronchial asthma (BA). Chronic pediatric disease is a medical condition that affects both the patient and the family caregiver. Chronic disease is characterized by unforeseeable changes in the course of the disease, a reduction in physical capacity, changes in appearance, a prolonged dependence on medical specialists, continuous treatments and the need for assistance. The presence of CD in adolescence is a risk factor for developing a psychological disorder. The most common psychopathology in childhood-juvenile CD is emotional, particularly anxiety symptoms, followed by depression symptoms, being possible the development of an anxiety disorder or of a major depression. When someone is diagnosed with a chronic disease, the family as a whole is affected by the stressors associated with the disease and the side effects of treatment, being inevitable the alteration of the whole family system, especially in cases where the patient is a infant or adolescent. In addition, it is necessary to underline that studies indicate that most of the care of adolescent patients generally is undertaken by one specific member of the family, usually called the main caregiver. The stress due to the care tasks has been associated with anxiety and depression symptoms, often causing emotional disturbances in the caregivers, associating the above with greater emotional symptomatology in adolescents and worse control of their disease. That's why more studies like the one proposed are needed to study more deeply the protective factors of psychological and physical health during the course of chronic disease at this stage of life, both in the adolescent patients as well as in their family. The main aim of this research is to study the psychosocial factors, adjustment to the disease and improvement of psychological well-being in the adolescent population with chronic disease. In order to do this, the investigators are going to analyse the main characteristics (psychological, family related and adjustment to disease) in the adolescent population with endocrinological problems (short stature and diabetes mellitus type 1), respiratory (asthma) and allergenic problems. These characteristics will also be analysed in the family of the adolescent patients. The personal adaptation profiles and families features that favor the psychological and physical health in these patients and their family caregivers will be also identified. In addition, the investigators also propose as an aim the development and implementation of an assessment and intervention program (in a pilot sample) that provides socio-emotional education in adolescent patients with chronic disease and their family caregivers.