Abstract
Social support and understanding from others are essential for recuperation of children with congenital heart disease. (Hereafter CHD). Self-disclosure, the conscious and unconscious act of revealing more about ourselves, is considered to have a positive relationship in acquiring social support and understanding. Since self- disclosure is a part of interpersonal communication and self-recognition, research of 10 to 15 year-old outpatient children with CHD was conducted in order to highlight the relationship between self esteem and social support. The average age was 12.16 ± 1.62 years old. 69.1% of them have experienced operations and 63.2% of them have no restrictions on physical activity in their daily school lives. The average of the total scale that measured their self disclosure was 62.33 ± 13.36. 57.4% disclosed their diseases. Children with CHD who go to hospital more often tend to disclose their diseases (p<0.05). Consequently, it was inferred that actions such as hospital visits encouraged them to disclose their diseases. There was no relationship between self-disclosure and self-esteem. The total of social support showed a correlation with the scale that measures self-disclosure (p=0.32, p<0.05) and more children with CHD have disclosed their diseases (p<0.05). In addition, the percentage of support from teachers is more in the case of those who disclose their disease (p<0.05). In order to improve the circumstances where self- disclosure can be made securely, significance of support from school teachers was suggested as well as enhancement of social support.
