Congenital Heart Defects and Parent-Adolescent Coping

Examined coping in parent–adolescent dyads among 8 adolescents (aged 13–25 yrs) who have had surgical repairs for congenital heart disease. Single, separate interviews were conducted with 8 parents and their adolescent children. The interviews were transcribed and the data analyzed, in pairs, using Grounded Theory procedures. The analysis of the data revealed two distinct dyadic patterns of coping: (1) similar coping, which included the subcategories of mutual protection, being accepting of each other; dealing with the illness by normalizing it, approaching the illness mechanically, and keeping the illness in its place; and (2) dissimilar coping, which included the single subcategory of a problematizing and withdrawing mode of illness management. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved