Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, 3215 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 West Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA.
Matern Child Health J. 2021 Dec;25(12):1992-2001. doi: 10.1007/s10995-021-03248-7. Epub 2021 Oct 15.
The caregiving experiences and unique health needs of male caregivers of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) are not well described. This study seeks to understand potential unmet health needs and attitudes toward supportive resources from the perspective of a sample of male caregivers of CYSHCN.
This mixed-methods study recruited a convenience sample of 30 men with CYSHCN who receive care for a chronic medical condition from primary care medical homes in Pennsylvania. We conducted semi-structured interviews (SSI), administered quantitative surveys to caregivers, and produced a thematic analysis. The SSI explored the health needs of male caregivers, assessed attitudes toward and preferences regarding supportive resources, and garnered their advice to other caregivers regarding parenting and health care system navigation.
Participants' median age is 41 years (IQR: 33, 44), and most (80%) reside full time with their CYSHCN. Most male caregivers deprioritized their own emotional, mental, and physical health needs to support the needs of their families. Many male caregivers articulated interest in seeking emotionally supportive resources (not time-intensive). They advised other male caregivers to remain involved in the medical care and wellbeing of their CYSCHN and to openly seek and receive emotional support despite the daily challenges they face.
Male caregivers of CYSHCN experience intense daily stress and express the need for emotionally supportive resources. Programs designed to facilitate such support may benefit from flexible formats (time and location) and involve male caregivers of CYSHCN as both facilitators and participants.
儿童和青少年特殊健康需求（CYSHCN）男性照顾者的照顾经历和独特的健康需求尚未得到充分描述。本研究旨在从男性 CYSHCN 照顾者的角度了解潜在的未满足的健康需求和对支持资源的态度。
这项混合方法研究招募了来自宾夕法尼亚州初级保健医疗之家的 30 名有慢性疾病的 CYSHCN 男性照顾者，采用便利抽样法。我们进行了半结构式访谈（SSI），对照顾者进行了定量调查，并进行了主题分析。SSI 探讨了男性照顾者的健康需求，评估了他们对支持资源的态度和偏好，并征求了他们对其他照顾者育儿和医疗保健系统导航的建议。
参与者的中位年龄为 41 岁（IQR：33，44），大多数（80%）全职与他们的 CYSHCN 居住在一起。大多数男性照顾者将自己的情绪、心理和身体健康需求置于次要地位，以满足家庭的需求。许多男性照顾者表示有兴趣寻求情感支持资源（非时间密集型）。他们建议其他男性照顾者继续参与 CYSHCN 的医疗保健和福祉，并尽管面临日常挑战，也要公开寻求和接受情感支持。
CYSHCN 的男性照顾者经历着强烈的日常压力，并表达了对情感支持资源的需求。旨在促进这种支持的计划可能受益于灵活的格式（时间和地点），并让 CYSHCN 的男性照顾者作为促进者和参与者参与其中。
