Exploring the physically ill child's self-perceptions and the mother's perceptions of her child's needs: insights gained from the FIRO-BC--a behavior test for use with children.

When dealing with the management of the dying patient and his family, systematic research has been very limited. Understanding the dying child's needs, as well as his family's, is important for approprirate therapy programs. The present study investigated the mother's awareness of her child's expressed and wanted needs in three areas of interpersonal relationships. It also studied the dying child's self-perceived needs and desires as compared with those of children with a non-life-threatening illness and with those of well children.