16 families from an outpatient CF-clinic participated.
Interventions
Parents and children were educated both individually as well as together in multi-family groups. Teaching, practicing and group discussions were balanced in each session.
Outcome measures
In a pre-post-design the following variables were evaluated: parental coping, parental health beliefs, children's coping, adherence, and knowledge about CF.
Main results
The parental coping patterns and health beliefs remained unchanged in the study group. Children developed more search for social support, whereas their competence and optimism decreased and withdrawal increased slightly as perceived by the parents. There is a subgroup with poor family functioning and adherence at pretest which improves after the intervention.
Authors' conclusions
Family-centered psychoeducational intervention may be a promising supportive strategy for children with CF, especially if it is dedicated to families with poor adaptation to the disease.