Experiences of Fathers of Young Children With Severe Congenital Heart Defects in Korea: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

• Published in: Journal of pediatric nursing 2020-07, Vol.53, p.e108-e113
• Main Authors: Hwang, Ji-Hye, Chae, Sun-Mi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Child; Child, Preschool; Congenital heart defects; Coping behavior; Father-Child Relations; Fathers; Female; Heart Defects, Congenital - surgery; Humans; Male; Mothers; Nursing; Psychological stress; Qualitative Research; Republic of Korea; Self-control
• ISSN: 0882-5963; 1532-8449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2020.02.040

This qualitative descriptive study sought to explore the experiences of fathers of children with severe congenital heart defects (CHDs) in Korea. The participants were nine fathers of children under 5 years of age who had undergone open heart surgery within the last 5 years. Data were collected using in-depth individual interviews from February to March 2015. Qualitative data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. Three themes and nine sub-themes emerged from the data. The three themes were “heartbreaking suffering,” “self-control during a great struggle,” and “being a father of a child with CHD.” This study described coping strategies that fathers used to balance their life, including self-control, redefinition of the situation, and seeking family support resources, which enabled them to practice normalization and live an ordinary life despite limitations. The findings of this study indicate that considerable psychological distress of fathers was similar to that of mothers for weeks to months after the sudden diagnosis of CHD and heart operations. The results also depict the coping strategies, contemporary fathering experience and the parenting role of fathers in raising children with severe CHDs. Healthcare professionals should understand the experience of fathers of children with severe CHDs and their needs for social support. It is also necessary to develop nursing interventions that focus on fathers' needs. •Fathers showed considerable psychological distress and had received insufficient information on cardiac disease.•Fathers used coping strategies including self-control, redefinition of the situation, and seeking support resources.•The results depict contemporary experiences of fatherhood and the parenting role of fathers of children with severe CHDs.•Healthcare professionals should approach fathers in a way that is informed by cultural and gender perspectives.