{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,26]],"date-time":"2026-09-26T03:59:23Z","timestamp":1790395163862,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,23]],"date-time":"2024-09-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1727049600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Palliative Care Research Center\u2019s Kornfeld Scholars Program, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences","award":["KL2TR001856"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KL2TR001856"]}]},{"name":"National Palliative Care Research Center\u2019s Kornfeld Scholars Program, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences","award":["U24HD107562"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["U24HD107562"]}]},{"name":"National Palliative Care Research Center\u2019s Kornfeld Scholars Program, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences","award":["K24AG070285"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K24AG070285"]}]},{"name":"Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development","award":["KL2TR001856"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KL2TR001856"]}]},{"name":"Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development","award":["U24HD107562"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["U24HD107562"]}]},{"name":"Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development","award":["K24AG070285"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K24AG070285"]}]},{"name":"National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine","award":["KL2TR001856"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KL2TR001856"]}]},{"name":"National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine","award":["U24HD107562"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["U24HD107562"]}]},{"name":"National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine","award":["K24AG070285"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K24AG070285"]}]},{"name":"National Institutes of Health Office of Disease Prevention","award":["KL2TR001856"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KL2TR001856"]}]},{"name":"National Institutes of Health Office of Disease Prevention","award":["U24HD107562"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["U24HD107562"]}]},{"name":"National Institutes of Health Office of Disease Prevention","award":["K24AG070285"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K24AG070285"]}]},{"name":"Schenker","award":["KL2TR001856"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KL2TR001856"]}]},{"name":"Schenker","award":["U24HD107562"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["U24HD107562"]}]},{"name":"Schenker","award":["K24AG070285"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K24AG070285"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: To better understand the strategies family caregivers of children with medical complexity (CMC) utilize to deal with the stress and challenges associated with caregiving. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study among family caregivers of CMC receiving medical care at a children\u2019s hospital in Western Pennsylvania. Participants completed in-depth, semi-structured interviews focused on how CMC family caregivers approach and manage caregiving-related challenges and stress. Using constant comparative methodology, we inductively analyzed deidentified transcripts for emergent themes. Results: We interviewed 19 participants (89.4% female) with a mean age of 43 years (range 32\u201354 years). The mean age of the participants\u2019 children was 10.8 years (range 1\u201320 years). Twelve participants\u2019 children identified as white and four identified as Black. Three central themes regarding CMC caregivers\u2019 stress-coping strategies emerged: (1) maintaining a positive mindset, (2) developing and relying on interpersonal support networks, and (3) making time for self-preservation. All three themes were universally reported (n = 19\/19) by our participants. The most common subthemes for each theme, respectively, focused on staying hopeful and celebrating moments of joy; cultivating supportive relationships with family, friends, and fellow CMC family caregivers; and finding pleasure in \u201clittle things\u201d (e.g., everyday activities and hobbies). Conclusion: Family caregivers of CMC utilize a multi-faceted approach to cope with the stress and challenges routinely encountered in caring for CMC. This study\u2019s findings could be used to inform future clinical efforts and research directions aiming to improve clinicians\u2019 ability to support CMC caregivers\u2019 well-being.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children11091151","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,24]],"date-time":"2024-09-24T03:49:46Z","timestamp":1727149786000},"page":"1151","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Experiences in Coping with Stress\u2014A Qualitative Study of Family Caregivers of Children with Medical Complexity"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Mikhaila N.","family":"Layshock","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7812-0286","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amy S.","family":"Porter","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics, Mass General for Children, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5488-4505","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jori F.","family":"Bogetz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics, Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Seattle Children\u2019s Research Institute, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-8920-4553","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lydia","family":"McLachlan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sydney","family":"Weill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abby","family":"Rosenberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children\u2019s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6278-2560","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joseph G.","family":"Winger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2906-8896","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amy","family":"Houtrow","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Robert B.","family":"Noll","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yael","family":"Schenker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, Palliative Research Center (PaRC), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2769-8344","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Justin A.","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Pediatric Supportive and Palliative Care, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC Children\u2019s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"518","DOI":"10.1093\/pch\/18.10.518","article-title":"Children with medical complexity in Canada","volume":"18","author":"Dewan","year":"2013","journal-title":"Paediatr. 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