The experience of hope in families of children and adolescents living with chronic illness: A thematic synthesis of qualitative studies

Aim: To synthesize qualitative studies on the experience of hope in families of children and adolescents living with chronic illness.

Background: Hope is multidimensional, dynamic, and varies according to experienced events, cultural environments and stage of life. The qualitative synthesis of the experience of hope in the paediatric population with chronic conditions is scarce.

Design: Thematic synthesis of qualitative studies.

Data sources: A systematic literature search in PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science was performed supplemented by manual search strategies. Thirty-one studies from fifteen countries, published between 1981-2018, were included.

Findings: Findings were integrated into an analytical theme "FAMILY HOPE: KEEPING THE DAY-TO-DAY BALANCE", encompassing the following five descriptive themes: Uncertainty; Support; Information; Between "dark thoughts" and positive thoughts; and Hoping to go back to normality.

Conclusion: This thematic synthesis brings a new dimension of hope among families of children and adolescents living with chronic illness. "Family Hope" highlights the influence of the relationships between relatives and the chronically ill child in the balance of hope. It is recommended that health professionals use a family-focused approach to support these families.

Impact: Shifting the focus to a family dimension of hope is a promising pursuit that has the potential to inform future nursing practices to support the experiences of families living with chronic illness in the paediatric context. A better understanding of the role and characteristics of family hope will promote the development of more effective interventions for families to adapt to long-term paediatric conditions.