Experiences of siblings of children with congenital heart disease during Coronavirus disease 2019; A qualitative interview study.
Elizabeth Bichard, Stephen McKeever, Suzanne Bench and 1 others
PMID 35065871WHAT IT FOUND
Siblings of children with congenital heart disease lacked clear information, worried their brother or sister could get very sick from COVID-19, felt responsible to protect them, and most took on extra caring; some said school fell behind.
Key findings
01All siblings saw their brother or sister as vulnerable to COVID-19 and reported a lack of information about the virus.
02Most siblings felt responsible to protect their brother or sister, and some described guilt or fear about passing the virus.
03Most siblings took on extra caring and household duties to keep the family functioning, and some said this made them fall behind with school.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The interviews were with 17 siblings in the UK, so the themes may not reflect siblings in other countries or with different pandemic restrictions. Participants were recruited only through three cardiac charities, so they may have had more support and information than families not connected to charities. The study did not include siblings of children with acquired heart disease or bereavement, and required English because no interpretation funding was available. Online interviews meant the researcher could not guarantee privacy, which may have limited what siblings disclosed. Reporting COVID-19 experiences was not the primary aim of the wider ALPS study, though interview questions were adapted for the pandemic. The study describes experiences; it does not test whether family support or communication changes outcomes.
Declared interests
The study received no specific grant from public, commercial, or not-for-profit funding agencies. The authors declared no known conflicts of interest and no significant financial support that could have influenced the outcome.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that a specific family support programme works. The study only describes siblings' experiences and did not test any intervention.