“The same or different”: strategies of coping with the “difference” in the relationship among adolescents with type I diabetes and teenagers

Visuomenės akyse jaunuoliai, gyvenantys su liga, tampa „kitokiais“ dėl gydymo keliamų reikalavimų. Situacijos sudėtingumą suprantantis socialinis darbuotojas gali pasiūlyti tinkamą socialinę pagalbą. Straipsnio tikslas – atskleisti „kitoniškumo“ įveikos strategijas santykių tarp paauglių, sergančių cukriniu diabetu ir bendraamžių kontekste. Atliktas kokybinis tyrimas, kuriame dalyvavo 14 jaunuolių. Tyrimas atskleidė, kad ligos gydymo būdai sukelia įtampą, kai paauglys jaučiasi kitoks dėl netekto spontaniškumo, kasdienės veiklos planavimo ir kt. „Kitoniškumas“ įveikiamas pasitelkiant tokias strategijas kaip išsaugant „normalumą“, priimant „kitoniškumą“ kaip „normalumą“ arba sujungiant „kitoniškumą“ ir „normalumą“.When child is diagnosed with chronic disease family may face with the crisis. Usually, family and child are left alone, because there is a lack of social aid. There are not many social workers who are capable to offer support for mentioned clients. Social worker’s activity is focused to interaction between individual and environment (Campton, Galaway, 1999) and can address the need for social aid. The individual and family will be able to function independently if they could get social aid on time, the consequences of social exclusion could be avoided or relieved. Diabetes Mellitus type 1 is an invisible illness which can lead to the disability. Very intensive illness management is needed in order to avoid disabling or danger to life complications. In turn, it requires to change personal routine, learn unusual skills and manage various information. Adolescents with diabetes may become “different” because of the illness management requirements. The goal of article is to reveal strategies of coping with the sense of “difference” in the context of relationships between adolescents with type 1 diabetes and teenagers. What does experience adolescent with diabetes who would like to adapt into teenagers’ group? [...]